Nigeria’s U-18 men’s handball team secured second place at the IHF Trophy’s Intercontinental Phase, despite a 34-30 loss to Kosovo after overtime in the final on Sunday in Pristina, Kosovo.
Led by Emeka Nnamani, Nigeria entered the match aiming to avenge an earlier defeat by the hosts in the preliminary stage. The game was closely contested, with both teams tied 13-13 at halftime. Nigeria came out strong in the second half, leading 26-24 with less than three minutes to go, thanks to the efforts of Christian Foloki and Mustapha Mohammed, who combined for 13 goals. However, Kosovo responded with two quick goals to force overtime, aided by Amar Muqolli.
In the overtime period, Kosovo, driven by their home crowd, secured a 34-30 victory, claiming the title of IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase champions.
The USA finished third, defeating Uzbekistan 36-34 in the bronze medal match.
Mustapha Mohammed was the tournament’s top scorer, with 43 goals, followed by Kosovo’s Muqolli (30 goals) and Granit Kadiri (29 goals).
This marks Nigeria’s second time finishing as runners-up in the competition, following their loss in the 2019 final to Chinese Taipei. They also finished third in the 2023 edition. A victory would have secured Nigeria’s qualification for the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship later this year.
