Handball · National Teams
Nigeria National Handball Teams
The men’s, women’s and youth teams, their results and the players who wear the green and white.
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Checked 30 September 2026
Results that matter
The men’s team, coached by Rafiu Salami, has played 16 African Championships since 1979. Their best finish was fourth in 1998, which sent them to the 1999 World Championship. In January 2026 in Kigali they finished sixth. In 2024 the under-18 women became the first Nigerian women’s team at an IHF world championship.
| Year | Team | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Men | African Championship, South Africa | 4th (best ever) |
| 1999 | Men | World Championship, Egypt | 23rd |
| 2018 | Men | African Championship, Gabon | Took part |
| 2018 | Junior and youth | IHF Trophy Africa, Niamey | Winners |
| 2024 | U-18 women | IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, China | First appearance |
| 2026 | Men | African Championship, Kigali | 6th (4 wins, 3 losses) |
From our archive
Players in our records
Handball is growing in terms of popularity in Nigeria, and just like any other sports in the country, the handball team consists of various professional players who have played and is still playing for the Nigeria team, some of the players and the club they play in are as follows includes;
- Michael Solomon Agbaji (Kano Pillars),
- Saka Sallau Saidu (FRSC)
- Olatunde Adams (Al Shamal Sports Club Doha, Qatar)
- Obinna Ani (KMC Sports Club Marrakech, Morocco)
- Akande Michael Tope (FRSC)
- Emeka Adigwe (Edo Dynamos)
- Jacob Katau Ayuba (Taraba Ambassadors)
- Abdulmajid Mudashiru (Civil Defence)
- Emmanuel Amadi (FRSC)
- Muktari Muhammad (FRSC)
- Sesugh Stephen Iortyer (Benue Buffalo)
- Nneji Okiri Emeana (FRSC)
- Gbenga Kole (Lagos Sea siders)
- Moses Okunoma (FRSC)
- Samora Samuel (Nigerian Army)
- Chris Ogedegbe Ahmed (Kano Pillars)
- Abubakar Atabo (FRSC)
- Philip Igwe Kalu (Maccabi holon Club of Israel)
- Kingsley Okubuike (Kano Pillars)
- Osas Olaye Mathew (Edo Dynamos)
- Aminu Aliyu (Niger United)
- Aminu Adamu (Kano Pillars)
- Ibitoye Ayomide Martins (Lagos Sea siders) and more.
Checked 30 September 2026
Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games and African Games
Handball has never been a Commonwealth Games sport. At the African Games, Nigeria has won six medals, all bronze: four for the men and two for the women. The latest came in Accra, where the men finished third behind Egypt and DR Congo.
| Games | Nigeria’s record |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth Games | Never on the programme |
| African Games, all time | 6 bronze medals (men 4, women 2) |
| African Games 1991, Cairo | Men’s bronze |
| African Games 2003, Abuja | Men’s bronze at home |
| African Games 2015, Brazzaville | Men and women both 4th |
| African Games 2019, Rabat | Men 6th, women 9th |
| African Games 2023, Accra | Men’s bronze; no women’s team |
The next African Games are in Cairo, Egypt, from 20 January to 7 February 2027. See the full medal stories on our Commonwealth Games and African Games pages.
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Quick answers
Nigeria handball teams: quick answers
Who coaches the Nigeria men’s handball team?
Rafiu Salami, assisted by David Emmanuel Chukwuma Nwankwo.
Which Nigerian handball players play abroad?
In our records: Olatunde Adams (Al Shamal, Qatar), Obinna Ani (KMC Marrakech, Morocco) and Philip Igwe Kalu (Maccabi Holon, Israel).
Which clubs play handball in Nigeria?
Leading clubs include FRSC, Kano Pillars, Edo Dynamos, Benue Buffaloes, Niger United, Taraba Ambassadors, Lagos Seasiders, Civil Defence and the Nigerian Army.
How many African Games handball medals has Nigeria won?
Six, all bronze: four for the men (including 1991, 2003 and 2023) and two for the women.