IHF Women's Trophy Zonal Phase Championship: Nigeria's U-18, 20 Women Handball coaches release final team lists

Posted : 17 April 2025

Coaches of Nigeria's U-18 and women's handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players, respectively, ahead of the IHF Women's Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from April 20th to 24th, 2025.

The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba, Lagos, for nearly 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 en route to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, for the competition.

Coach John Uzor of the National U-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. Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes, and Sharon Okonkwo also made the final cut, among others.

In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-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, retain their places.

Despite the absence of key player Taiwo Babatunde due to her school, Yaba College of Technology's refusal to release her for national service, Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud, just as they did previously at the U-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 would not release her for national service because of examinations.

"We did everything humanly possible to secure her release, but they didn’t care that it is a national service in the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports.

"We have other players who are also students, and they were released from their schools, but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo, despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release.

"It’s sad, and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal of making Nigeria proud in sporting events."

"Regardless, we still have the core of the team, and I believe we’ll do well at the IHF Women's Trophy Zonal Phase Championship in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire," Coach Shittu said.

In the Youth (U-18) category, Nigeria's U-18 team is in Group A alongside Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso. They will begin their campaign against Togo on Sunday at 11:00 AM, then play Burkina Faso on Monday at 9:00 AM, and finally play Ghana on Tuesday at 11:00 AM.

Nigeria's U-20 team is in Group B alongside Benin Republic and Togo. They will begin their campaign on Monday against Togo at 3:00 PM and then play Benin Republic on Tuesday at 3:00 PM.

All matches will be played at the Salle Polyvalente des Parcs de Sport de Treichville (Multipurpose Sports Hall), Abidjan.

National U-18 Girls:

Omole Joy

Ngaodurubie Chetachi Angela

Omole Shola

Sharon Okonkwo

Ojie Princess

Nestor Abigail

Balogun Faisat

Audu Salamatu

Mohammed Balikis

Duru Success

Oluwalade Phebe

Adebayo Aliya

Peter Sarah

Treasure Mike Osagie

U-20 Final List:

Goalkeepers

Kehinde Babatunde - ASPAC HBC, Cotonou

Precious Samuel - Rima Queens, Sokoto

Center Backs
3. Rahima Bello - Neston HBC, Israel (Center Back)
4. Izuoba Ijeoma - Delta Force, Delta (Center Back)

Right Back
5. Esther Mathew - Addidja HBC, Cotonou (Right Back)
6. Chidera Ogbusimba - Rima Queens, Sokoto (Right Back)

Left Back
7. Prudence Samuel - Rima Queens, Sokoto (Left Back)
8. Michael Christiana - Delta Force, Delta (Left Back)

Left Wing
9. Amina Mohammed - Rima Queens, Sokoto (Left Wing)
10. Joy Peters - Rima Queens, Sokoto (Left Wing)

Right Wing
11. Lucy Onyekwere - Rima Queens, Sokoto (Right Wing)
12. Mahmud Aishat - Addidja HBC, Cotonou (Right Wing)

Pivot
13. Mariam Ojo - Funad Falcons, Lagos (Pivot)
14. Akinlade Damilola - Rivers Queens, Rivers (Pivot)

Coaches
Agboola Shittu Adewunmi (Head Coach)
Abdullahi Suleiman (Assistant Coach)

IHF Women's Trophy Zonal Phase Championship: Nigeria's U-18, 20 Women Handball coaches release final team lists

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