Nigeria’s U-18 women’s handball team suffered a narrow 23-22 defeat to Chile in their President’s Cup Group A opening match at the 2024 International Handball Federation (IHF) Women’s U-18 World Championship in Chuzhou, China.
After failing to advance to the main round, Nigeria qualified for the President’s Cup by finishing third in Group B during the preliminary stage. Their journey to the President’s Cup included a tough 33-11 loss to Croatia and a 26-9 defeat by Montenegro, but the team managed to secure a 29-21 victory against Angola.
In the closely contested match against Chile, Nigeria trailed by a single point at halftime (11-10). Despite an evenly matched second half, where both teams scored 12 goals each, Nigeria ultimately lost by a narrow margin of 23-22.
This defeat places Nigeria in second place in Group A of the President’s Cup, with Austria leading the group. Chile and Angola currently occupy the third and fourth positions, respectively.
Nigeria will next face group leaders Austria, while Angola is set to play against Chile on Tuesday, August 20th. The upcoming matches will determine the final standings and potential progression in the tournament for the Nigerian team.