Nigeria Lose IHF Trophy Final to Kosovo After Overtime Thriller

• Nigeria’s U-18 team finished second at the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase after a 34-30 overtime loss to hosts Kosovo.
• Mustapha Mohammed emerged top scorer of the tournament with 43 goals, ahead of Kosovo’s Muqolli and Kadiri.
• Victory would have secured Nigeria a spot at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship later this year.

Nigeria’s U-18 men’s handball team finished as runners-up at the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase after a narrow 34-30 overtime defeat to hosts Kosovo in Sunday’s final in Pristina.

Coached by Emeka Nnamani, the Nigerian side entered the final determined to avenge their earlier group-stage loss to Kosovo. Despite their efforts and vital goals, they were held to a 13-13 stalemate at halftime by the hosts’ disciplined defense.

Nigeria rallied in the second half, briefly taking control of the game with a 26-24 lead inside the final three minutes, thanks to a combined 13 goals from Christian Foloki and Mustapha Mohammed. However, Kosovo struck twice in quick succession—Amar Muqolli proving instrumental—to force the match into overtime.

Buoyed by home support, Kosovo dominated the extra period to seal a 34-30 victory and claim the title.

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The USA claimed third place after edging Uzbekistan 36-34 in the bronze medal match.

Nigeria’s Mustapha Mohammed emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with 43 goals, followed by Kosovo’s Amar Muqolli (30) and Granit Kadiri (29).

This marks Nigeria’s second defeat in an IHF Trophy final, having lost the 2019 decider to Chinese Taipei. They finished third in the 2023 edition.

A win in Pristina would have secured Nigeria a place in the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship later this year.

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