Nigeria’s U-23 men’s handball team has been placed in Group B of the 5th IHF Emerging Nations Championship, where they will compete against the United States, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. The tournament is set to take place from March 11 to 16 in Varna, Bulgaria.

The draw was conducted at the IHF Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, with Nigeria making their third appearance at the competition. The team, expected to be led by coach Solomon Yola, is familiar with some of its opponents, having previously lost to the USA in the 2019 edition and defeated Azerbaijan in the 2023 tournament, both times in the group stage.

Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) President Samuel Ocheho described the group as challenging but sees it as an opportunity for the team to surpass their previous best finish of seventh place. He emphasized the Federation’s commitment to supporting the squad’s success and called on the National Sports Commission for further backing to elevate Nigeria’s handball on the global stage.