The Nigeria Under 18 Women Handball team commenced their campaign in the IHF Trophy's Zonal Phase championship in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, with a resounding 53-21 victory over Togo in the Youth Category on Sunday.

Under the guidance of Coach John Uzor and Assistant Coach Bukola Duru, the team displayed remarkable speed and precision, particularly from the wings and during fast breaks, while also demonstrating strong defensive skills to secure a first-half lead of 21-8.

In the second half, Nigeria maintained their impressive performance, leaving their opponents with little opportunity to respond, ultimately concluding the match with a decisive 53-21 win.

Surprisingly, despite this overwhelming victory, none of the outstanding Nigerian players were awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title, which instead went to a player from Togo.

Coach John Uzor expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the victory itself was more significant than individual accolades. "I am very excited about the victory. The girls executed our game plan perfectly, which allowed them to score so many goals. Whether their efforts were recognized or not is not my concern, as the victory is far more important than the MVP award," Coach John remarked.

The Nigeria Under 18 Women Handball team is set to face Burkina Faso on Monday at 9 a.m., while later that day, the Nigeria Under 20 Women Handball team will compete in their first match of the tournament against Togo in the Junior category at 3 p.m.