Nigeria’s quest to sustain their impressive run at the 2026 African Men’s Handball Championship suffered a blow on Sunday following a narrow 27–24 defeat to Angola in their opening main round fixture.

The Golden Arrows, who had dominated Group A with emphatic wins over Algeria, Zambia, and host nation Rwanda, fell short at the Kigali BK Arena, putting their semi-final ambitions and early qualification hopes for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship under pressure.

Nigeria struggled early on against a resolute Angolan side and went into the break trailing 14–11 after conceding a series of well-executed goals. Despite a spirited second-half response, which included converting five of their seven seven-metre throws, the Arrows were unable to overturn the deficit. Angola, by contrast, were flawless from the penalty spot, converting all six of their attempts.

The defeat came as a setback after Nigeria’s impressive group-stage campaign. They had stunned seven-time champions Algeria 25–23, taking control in the 14th minute with a decisive 4–0 scoring run. That victory was followed by dominant wins over Zambia (36–18) and Rwanda (30–20), allowing Nigeria to top Group A and emerge as strong semi-final contenders.

Victory over Angola would have sealed Nigeria’s place in the last four and guaranteed qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship.

The match also saw Nigeria pick up two yellow cards and one red card, while Angola maintained discipline throughout the encounter. Both teams made tactical use of timeouts, with Nigeria stopping play at 13:08 and 48:37, while Angola called theirs at 19:18, 52:29, and 58:19.

Angola’s win underlined the fierce competition in the main round, which began on Sunday and concludes on Tuesday. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals and automatically qualify for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship in Germany. Additionally, the team finishing fifth through placement matches will also secure a World Championship ticket, keeping Nigeria’s hopes alive despite the loss.

Nigeria will now turn their attention to a decisive final main round clash against defending champions Egypt on Tuesday. The outcome of that encounter will determine whether the Golden Arrows can secure a semi-final spot in the first African Men’s Handball Championship hosted in East Africa.

Nigeria’s best-ever finish at the tournament came in 1998, when they placed fourth and went on to represent Africa at the 1999 IHF Men’s World Championship, finishing 23rd.

With a semi-final berth still within reach, the Golden Arrows remain determined to carve out a new chapter in their history and keep their World Championship dreams alive.