Nigeria’s senior men’s handball team, the Golden Arrows, have missed the chance to qualify for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship in Germany after suffering a 25–20 defeat to Angola in the fifth-place classification match at the Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nigeria made a confident start to the encounter at the BK Arena, displaying composure in attack and solidity in defence. Their efforts were rewarded with a 12–9 lead at halftime, putting them in a strong position to push for the continent’s final qualification spot.
The game, however, swung in Angola’s favour early in the second half when Faruk Yusuf was shown a red card, marking his second dismissal of the tournament after a similar incident against Guinea. Reduced to six players, the Golden Arrows struggled to maintain their rhythm as Angola took full advantage of the situation.
Angola increased the pace and physicality of the contest, gradually overturning Nigeria’s lead. The West Africans found it difficult to break through Angola’s defence and were heavily outscored after the break, allowing their opponents to seal a five-goal victory.
With the result, Nigeria’s campaign at the continental tournament comes to an end, while Angola claim Africa’s fifth and final qualification spot for the 2027 World Championship.
