By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
NIGERIA’s GOLDEN Arrow Handball Men’s team Thursday before a scanty 500 spectators at the Petit Stade, Kigali in Rwanda threw Zambia men’s team further down group A table with a 36 to 18 goals victory.
AHC2026, Nigeria, Zambia, Down Group ‘A’ Table With 36 Goals To 18
Nigeria scored 17-10 goals in the first half but had Sulaimon Azeez scoring highest for her with 8 goals followed by Yusuf Farouk and John Shagari who scored 5 goals each while Hakeem Salami and Victor Rotibi scored 4 goals each.
Zambia had Felix Kabundu scoring 7 goals while Syakwayi and Tonga Moses scored 3 goals each in the match that saw Nigeria calling for one Time Out at 19:14 minute and Zambia under intense pressure had two Tim Out calls in 13:25 minute and 48:35 minute before Moroccan Ref Moqriich Ismael; Shaibu Mohammed of Egypt was the Technical Official while CAHB official was Coulibaly Nange of Senegal.
In the other group match just concluded, at the same venue but before a crowd of 2000 fans, Algeria got her redemption song right beating hosts Rwanda 46 to 25 goals with half time scores at 23-10 goals in favor of Algeria where Guemeida of Algeria scored 8 goals and Emmanuel of Rwanda also scored 8 goals.
Nigeria and Zambia last met on 15th July 2022 where Nigeria obtained victory at 35 goals to 17 after ending half time at 19 goals to Nigeria and 9 to Zambia.
The Nigerian victory was at an African group 2 meeting that Nigeria won her two matches’ with4 points scoring 66 goals and conceding 39; Senegal was second winning one game and losing to Nigeria obtaining 2 points scoring 69 goals but conceding 54 while Zambia in that group had no point having lost her 2 matches scored 40 goals and conceded 82 goals. This is a creation for group losers to contest for THE PRESIDENT’S CUP.
In the first group A games, Nigeria beat Algeria 25-23 goals while Rwanda got victory over Zambia 30-19 goals. The last group A games will be at noon on Saturday 24thwhen Algeria will play Zambia and Nigeria will seek to permanently top the group against Rwanda at 6pm.
Presently, Nigeria tops the group with winning her 2 games with 4 points scoring 61 goals and conceding 41 with a +20 Goals difference; Algeria is 2nd winning a match with 2 points scoring 69 goals but conceding 50 goals with +19 goals difference; Rwanda is 3rd winning a game with 2 points scoring 55 goals and conceding 65 with -10 goals difference while Zambia is down there winning no math having no point scoring 37 goals and conceding 66 with a -29goals.
Two topmost teams will advance to the Major rounds which in football understanding we call round of 16 games.
Handball is played with 30 minutes in each half and 10 minutes break (major championship like this gives 15 minutes break) unlike football that plays 45-minutes for each half with 15 break. Clock also stops for injuries and time outs in handball.
Nigeria has never won the title since 1974 when they joined the party but had a best performance of a 4th place in South Africa 1998 when they lost the Bronze to Egypt 35-26.
Egypt is the defending champions of the tournament and has won the title for a good 9 times after Tunisia that has won the title a record 10 times.
The tournament that started Wednesday 21st January is expected to draw her curtain on 31st January and this tournament will stand as qualifications for Africa’s representatives at the World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany in 2027.
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