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Nigeria Beat Côte d’Ivoire 31-26, Move Within One Win of World Cup

Posted : 22 September 2026

Nigeria’s Under-18 men’s handball team moved within one victory of qualifying for the 2027 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship after defeating hosts Côte d’Ivoire 31-26 in the 5th-8th placement round in Abidjan on Monday.

The Nigerian side, coached by Abdulhakim Yakubu, produced a controlled performance to lead 13-11 at half-time. They maintained their advantage after the break and eventually secured a five-goal victory over the hosts.

Simon Abaaka was named the Most Valuable Player after playing a key role in Nigeria’s victory. His performance helped Nigeria overcome a Côte d’Ivoire side that was also fighting to remain in contention for a place at the global tournament.

The result keeps Nigeria in contention for one of Africa’s five qualification places for the 2027 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship. The African championship is serving as the qualification tournament for the global event.

Nigeria will now face the winner of the other 5th-8th placement match between Cameroon and Rwanda. A victory in that fixture would see Yakubu’s team finish fifth in the African championship and secure qualification for the 2027 world tournament.

The Nigerian team has shown resilience throughout the competition after entering the tournament in Group B alongside Tunisia, Algeria and Madagascar. They also recorded a narrow 26-25 victory over Algeria during the preliminary stage.

Nigeria later faced a difficult quarter-final against defending champions Egypt, suffering a 55-21 defeat. The team has since responded with a victory over Côte d’Ivoire in the placement round, keeping its World Championship hopes alive.

The 22nd African Men’s Youth Handball Championship is taking place in Abidjan from September 15 to 22. Fourteen teams are competing in the tournament, with five African nations set to earn places at the 2027 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

 

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