Nigeria’s U-18 Women’s Handball team suffered a narrow 23-22 defeat against Chile in a classification match at the ongoing IHF Women’s World Under-18 Handball Championship in Chuzhou, China, on Sunday.
In a closely contested encounter, both teams demonstrated equal strength, with Nigeria under the guidance of Coach Shittu Adewunmi Agboola matching their Chilean counterparts shot for shot. Despite showing improved shot efficiency compared to previous games, Nigeria trailed 11-10 at the end of the first half.
The second half remained tightly contested, with Nigeria finding success from the 9-meter line, the wings, and fast breaks. However, their efforts were not enough to overturn the deficit, as the teams drew 12-12 in the second half, allowing Chile to secure the victory with a final score of 23-22.
Key players Blessing Igbenedion and Lucy Chinecherem stood out, building on their impressive performances in the previous match against Angola. Despite their efforts, Nigeria was unable to clinch the win in the dying moments of the game.
Next up for Nigeria is another classification match against Austria on Tuesday, where they will be aiming to bounce back and finish the tournament on a positive note.
