Nigeria will compete with a squad of just 14 players at the 2025 African Women’s Youth Handball Championship, which kicks off on September 14 in Oran, Algeria.

Although 19 players were initially invited to camp at Rowe Park Sports Centre in Yaba, Lagos, the final list was trimmed due to financial challenges. According to head coach John Uzor, the team was originally expected to travel with 18 players, but funding shortfalls forced the federation to reduce the number further.

“Actually, we had invited 30 to the first phase of the camp. In that first phase, we dropped 10 and came back with 20. But unfortunately for us, one of the key players could not secure a passport before the deadline due to financial issues,” Uzor explained. “We were supposed to go with 18 players. But because of financial constraints, we are going with 14, which is already a deficiency on our part.”

He, however, praised federation president Sam Ocheho for his support in ensuring the team makes it to Algeria at all.

The federation’s media officer, Cosmas Chukwuemeka, confirmed the development, stressing that while the maximum squad size allowed is 16, 14 remains the minimum a country can register for the tournament.

Nigeria heads into the championship looking to build on its historic bronze medal finish at the 2023 edition in Monastir, Tunisia, where the team defeated Angola in the third-place playoff to secure a maiden World Cup ticket.

This time, the girls will battle in Group A alongside Angola, Tunisia, Kenya, Benin Republic, and Madagascar. The competition, running from September 14 to 21, doubles as a qualifier for the 2026 Women’s Youth World Handball Championship and the IHF Women’s Intercontinental Phase.