Nigeria misses World Cup after Angola defeat

Nigeria’s senior men’s handball team, the Golden Arrows, have seen their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 IHF World Handball Championship come to an end following a loss to Angola at the 27th Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup in Kigali, Rwanda.

Nigeria’s journey at the continental tournament concluded with a 25–20 defeat to Angola in the 5th–6th place classification match, played at the BK Arena.

The loss proved decisive, as only the top five teams from Africa were guaranteed qualification for the global showpiece, scheduled to take place in Germany.

Despite flashes of resilience, the Golden Arrows were unable to overturn Angola’s disciplined performance, falling short in the crucial encounter that determined the final qualification slot.

With the victory, Angola secured Africa’s fifth and final qualification place for the 2027 IHF World Championship, ending Nigeria’s ambitions of returning to the world stage.

The Angolans maintained control for large periods of the match, capitalising on defensive lapses and key scoring opportunities to pull away late on.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify will come as a disappointment after a hard-fought campaign in Kigali, where the team showed improvement but ultimately lacked the consistency needed to finish among the continent’s elite five.