By Amaechi Agbo
Head Coach of Nigeria’s National Under-18 Male Handball Team, Abdulhakim Yakubu, has invited 22 players to camp in preparation for the 22nd African Cadets Men’s Championship, with the selected players already in camp in Abuja ahead of the competition in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The young national team is currently undergoing intensive training sessions as the coaching crew works to build a competitive squad capable of making a strong impression at the continental championship.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group B alongside Tunisia, Algeria and Madagascar, according to the groupings released for the championship.
The other groups have Egypt, Cameroon and Congo in Group A; Morocco, Libya and Rwanda in Group C; while Guinea, hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia and Burundi make up Group D.
The Nigerian squad features players across seven positions.
In the goalkeeping department are Shuaibu Fridaymicheal, Shuaibu Muhammad and Lawal Muhammad.
The centre backs are Aliyu Rufai, Sani Muntari, Friday Pagiel and Sulaimon Abayomi Fashogbon, while Godstime Michael, Usman Umar and Samuel Achama are listed as left backs.
The right-back options are Huzaifa Abdulkadir, Obieze Akunebu, Gana Abubakar Tauhidi and Muhammed Yahaya.
On the left wing are Chikelu Chidiebere Divine, Hamza Yahaya, Aminu Dahiru and Abdulrahman Sani, while Umar Mohammed, Abdullahi Abubakar and Zulkifilu Muhammed will operate from the right wing.
The two pivots in the squad are Akibu Muhammad and Dominion Abukhate.
Coach Yakubu is assisted by Ayo Joshua, with the technical crew using the ongoing camping programme to work on the players’ fitness, technical abilities, tactical understanding and team cohesion.
The championship, organised by the Confédération Africaine de Handball (CAHB), will bring together some of Africa’s best young handball talents and provide an important platform for the development of the next generation of players on the continent.
Nigeria faces a challenging group-stage campaign against Tunisia, Algeria and Madagascar, with the young team expected to draw on its preparations in Abuja as it seeks to make a strong showing in Abidjan.
With the players already settled in camp, attention is now firmly on preparations as the Nigerian side continues its build-up towards the 22nd African Cadets Men’s Championship.
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