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Nigeria Lose Placement Match Against Great Britain At IHF Emerging Nations Championship

Nigeria, on Saturday, lost to Great Britain 30-20 in a fifth placement match at the IHF Emerging Nations Championship in Varna, Bulgaria.

In a game played at the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria, the national under 24 male handball team, had the advantage in the first minutes of the match leading 5-1 at some point but fell like a pack of cards as Great Britain patiently actualized their tactics of isolating right wing Faruk Yusuf, thereby punishing Nigeria’s unnecessary turnovers to win the first half 14-11.

The second half pretty much continued from how the first half ended with Yusuf isolated and no opportunity for Ibrahim and Obina Ani to shoot from the 9 meters while Great Britain kept true to their superior tactics inspired by Goalkeeper Craig McClelland’s MVP performance which led to him making crucial saves especially six one – on -one saves in the first half and right wing Francisco Pereira shining performance to defeat Nigeria 30-20.

McClelland, who was voted Player of the Match, made as much as 18 saves and had 50% save ratio while Pereira, through his breathtaking fast breaks had 11 goals in the match.

Nigeria will play Andorra, who have highest goal scorer Unai Ruiz in their team, in a 7th/8th placement on Sunday while Great Britain will face Australia in a 6th placement match on the same day

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Oluchi Tobe-Chukwu

Oluchi Tobe-Chukwu popularly known as tobex is the Vice chairman of Sports writers Association of Nigeria , lagos Chapter. She Is also the Media Spokesperson of the Super Falcons of Nigeria. She is an award winning women's football writer. Tobex is also an ex footballer that was privileged to play in the first NFF organised women's league in 1990 as a player of Hamza Queens. Her last club as an active footballer was Ibom Angels as She paved way to further her education years ago. She is a Federal Government scholar , with a degree in Mass communication, a second degree in Public Relations and Advertising (Communication Studies). She is a Wife and Mother.

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