Golden Arrows Narrows Guinea 30–28 to Stay Alive in World Cup Qualification Race 

Oru Leonard 

Nigeria’s Senior Men Handball team, the Golden Arrows, kept their 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship hopes alive with a hard-fought 30–28 victory over Guinea in the 5th–8th place placement match at the 27th Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup in Kigali, Rwanda.

The playoff encounter, which serves as Africa’s qualification pathway for the continent’s fifth team to the 2027 World Championship in Germany, saw the Golden Arrows show grit and composure, even after being reduced to six men in the first half. Nigeria’s Faruk Yusuf was shown a red card, forcing the team to dig deep for the remainder of the contest.

Despite the setback, Nigeria went into the break with a slim 16–14 advantage and maintained their intensity after the restart to hold off a determined Guinea side.

Azeez Sulaiman delivered a standout performance, finishing with eight goals to earn the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, while John Shagari matched him with eight goals of his own to spearhead Nigeria’s attack.

The win sets up a decisive clash 5th placement tie against Angola, who defeated Morocco 27-20; with a place at the 2027 World Championship at stake.

Victory in the next game would see Nigeria return to the global stage for the first time since their last appearance in 1999.

With momentum on their side, the Golden Arrows will now turn their focus to one final hurdle in their quest for a historic World Cup qualification.

(HFN Media Assistant)