Things did not go as planned for Nigeria's under-24 in their IHF Emerging Nations Championship opener.
Nigeria's under-24 male handball team started their journey in the IHF Emerging Nations Championship with a defeat against host Bulgaria.
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The home side was just too strong and good for their Nigerian counterparts who gave it their all before falling to a four-point loss.
The Game in brief
Led by Coach Solomon Yola, the boys knew that the match against Bulgaria would be a herculean task and still put up a fight in a bid to cause an upset.
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But the men met a brick wall in the first half following a tight 13-11 victory in favour of the host.
The second half did not go as planned as well for the gallant Nigerians despite an improved performance.
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Bulgaria, inspired by the support coming from the home fans at the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, finished strongly in the second half to win the match 23-19.
Nigeria will play Azerbaijan on Thursday at 5 pm. Azerbaijan had lost their first match to Bulgaria 30-19.