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Coaches of Nigeria’s under 18 and women handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players respectively ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase which will hold in Abidjan, Cote’d’Voire from April 20th through to the 24th 2025.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba, Lagos for close to two weeks and have decided to streamline their lists to 14 players as they prepare to travel to Abidjan for the competition.
The teams left Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday morning enroute to Abidjan, Cote’d’Voire for the competition.
Coach John Uzor of the National Under 18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy and Right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo makes the cut amongst others.
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In the under 20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their under 18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters. Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew who is also based in Benin Republic keep their placed.
Despite not having key player Taiwo Babatunde due to her school Yaba College of Technology refusal to release her for national service, Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously in the under 18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examination. We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports.
