The Nigerian senior men’s handball team, known as the Green Arrows, faces a monumental challenge today in a Group I showdown against defending champions Egypt. This decisive fixture at the African Men’s Handball Championship carries immense stakes, as the winner secures a semi-final berth and an automatic qualification spot for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship. Egypt currently commands the group standings with four points and a staggering plus 27 goal difference, having dismantled both opponents in their opening matches.
Nigeria occupies the second position with two points, narrowly leading Angola on goals scored despite a recent 27–24 loss to the Southern Africans. That defeat snapped a brilliant winning streak for the Green Arrows, who previously dominated Algeria, Zambia, and Rwanda during the preliminary rounds. To keep their dreams of a first World Championship appearance since 1999 alive, Coach Rafiu Salami’s men must now find a way to overcome the most successful handball nation in African history.
The mathematical path to the final four remains complex for the Nigerians. If Algeria defeats Angola in the earlier match today, the Green Arrows could technically qualify before even taking the court, provided Algeria does not overcome a massive goal deficit. However, an Angolan victory would force Nigeria into a “win-or-bust” scenario against the Pharaohs. Failure to secure a top-two finish in Group I would relegate Nigeria to the classification playoffs, where only the fifth-place finisher earns a consolation ticket to the global tournament in Germany.
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