Nigeria U-19 handball team has been drawn in Group C alongside Denmark, Bahrain, Japan, Argentina and Macedonia at the 2019 World Cup staging in North Macedonia later this year.
The draw ceremony was held at the IHF head office in Basle, Switzerland with Zhivo Mukaetov, President of Macedonian Handball Federation (MHF) and Filip Miloshevski MHF Secretary General in attendance.
Nigeria U-19 team reached their first ever final at the 2019 IHF Challenge Trophy in Kosovo.
Coach Emeka Nnamani boys lost to Chinese Taipei 30 to 29 goals in a highly tensed final. Nigeria will be returning to the World Cup after 35 years.
Nnamani’s men will hope to make a meaningful impact at this year’s World Cup after performing well on the Africa continent.
Group A: Croatia, Spain, Slovakia, Norway, Chile and Saudi Arabia.
Group B: Sweden, France, Hungary, Egypt, Chinese Taipei and Canada
Group C: Denmark, Bahrain, Japan, Nigeria, Argentina and Macedonia
Group D: Portugal, Brazil, Tunisia, Serbia, Germany and Iceland
Amunike warns Eagles, other AFCON opponents
Head Coach of the Taifa Stars of Tanzania, Emmanuel Amunike has said his team won’t be pushovers at the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt but would make a positive impact.
Having already become a national hero in the East African nation, the 1994 AFCON winner told Sports247 that they now want to build a strong team despite being drawn in a very difficult group.
“For now we are preparing hard for the competition and I believe we will present a decent team that can stand against some of the continent’s best,” Amunike said.
Despite being grouped in a tough group alongside Senegal, Kenya, and Algeria, the former African Footballer of the Year note that his lads will take the matches one at a time and are not under any pressure going into the competition.
Amunike will be boosted by the form of captain and sensational goal scorer Mbwana Samatta who netted 33 goals in all competitions for Genk as they hope to make a huge impact on their first return to the competition in 39 years.
Currently camped in Egypt, Tanzania will face host nation Egypt on the 13th of June in a friendly match before their first Group C opener against Senegal ten days later.
