The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has officially commenced a training camp in Lagos for the national U18 and U20 women’s handball teams in preparation for the upcoming IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from April 20 to 24, 2025.
Training is ongoing at the Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba, Lagos, where both teams are undergoing rigorous sessions under the supervision of their respective head coaches — John Uzor for the U18 team and Adewunmi Agboola Shittu for the U20 side. This zonal competition marks the first stage in the 2025 IHF Women’s Trophy calendar.
The U20 team is composed of standout players from the historic U18 squad that qualified Nigeria for the World Cup for the first time. Notable names include Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC in Benin Republic and her twin sister Taiwo from Seasider Babes of Lagos, Esther Mathew (ADDIDJA HBC), and Rahima Bello (KIRYATONO HBC, Israel). The roster also features the Samuel sisters (Prudence and Precious), Chidera Ogbusimba, Amina Mohammed, and Joy Peters — all from RIMA Queens — along with Damilola Akinlade of Rivers Queens.
The U18 team is also shaping up strongly with talented invitees like Omole Joy (Rivers Queens), Taiwo Islamiat (Seasider Babes), and Oluwalade Phoebe (Ekiti), among others drawn from academies and clubs across Nigeria.
Coach Shittu, who guided the previous U18 team to a second-place finish at the Intercontinental Phase of the IHF Women’s Trophy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, believes this new challenge in the U20 category will offer a fresh learning curve for the players.
“This is a different ball game. We’re stepping into the Junior category for the first time, but we are confident. These girls have proven themselves at the youth level, and I believe they’re ready to excel again,” he said.
Coach John Uzor shares similar optimism for the U18 squad, stating that they are determined to meet — and surpass — the benchmark set by the previous generation.
“We’re stepping into the shoes of our ‘senior sisters’ now in the U20s. But with the talents we’ve gathered from across the country, I believe we can make our own mark in Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
Victory in Abidjan is crucial, as both teams must win the zonal phase to progress to the continental stage later this year.
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