Egypt’s Dominance from the Start
Egypt underlined their dominance at the 2025 African Men’s Handball Championship with a crushing 48–22 victory over Nigeria at the BK Arena in Kigali on Tuesday. This result eliminated the Green Arrows from semi-final contention and ended their hopes of immediate qualification for the 2027 World Championship.
The defending champions were in control from the opening exchanges, racing into a commanding 24–10 lead by half-time before matching that tally in the second period to complete a comprehensive win.
Nigeria Struggles Against Egypt’s Efficiency
Nigeria, who needed a positive result to progress as top two of main round Group I, were unable to cope with Egypt’s pace, efficiency, and clinical finishing across the court.
Egypt’s superiority was reflected clearly in the numbers as they recorded an overall shooting efficiency of 76 percent compared with Nigeria’s 43 percent, while their dominance from range proved decisive, converting 70 percent of their nine-meter attempts against Nigeria’s 27 percent.
Fastbreak Goals and Defensive Lapses
Egypt were equally ruthless on the break, scoring 10 fastbreak goals at a success rate of 91 percent, while Nigeria managed just one from open transition.
From close range, Egypt repeatedly punished defensive lapses, scoring 20 near goals and 14 from the wings, as Nigeria struggled to stem the flow despite matching their opponents from six meters and at the seven-meter line.
Final Stats and Group Outcome
Egypt finished with 63 total shots, converting 48, while Nigeria scored 22 from 51 attempts.
The result confirmed Egypt’s perfect record in Group I, finishing the main round with three wins from three matches, 131 goals scored, 78 conceded, and a goal difference of plus 53 to top the group with six points.
Nigeria’s Disappointment and Future Hopes
Nigeria, Algeria, and Angola all ended on two points, but Nigeria’s inferior goal difference of minus 27 consigned them to third place, behind Algeria on goal difference.
The defeat marked a heavy conclusion to a decisive group campaign for Nigeria, who had entered the fixture knowing only a strong performance against Africa’s most successful handball nation would keep their semi-final ambitions alive.
The Road Ahead for Nigeria
They had been left vulnerable by their earlier loss to Angola and were ultimately unable to respond against an Egyptian side widely regarded as the benchmark on the continent.
As a result, Nigeria now drops into the fifth to eighth place classification matches, where they will face another elimination contest on Thursday.
The stakes remain high, with the winner of the placement phase set to claim Africa’s final ticket to the 2027 IHF World Championship, keeping Nigeria’s global hopes alive despite their emphatic defeat in Kigali.
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