The Nigerian senior men’s national handball team has officially secured its place in the 27th Men’ Seniors Africa Nations Cup (CAN) after the Confederation Africaine de Handball (CAHB) granted exceptional approval for the team’s registration.
In a letter dated November 10, 2025, and addressed to the President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), the continental body formally acknowledged the HFN’s request for participation, which was initially submitted on October 13, 2025.
The official communication, signed by CAHB Secretary General Charles Ombouahou, explicitly stated that the Executive Committee of the Confederation has “exceptionally given its agreement for the registration of your Men’ Seniors national team in the said competition.”
Read full statement below:
This announcement brings a decisive end to a period of uncertainty and speculation that surrounded the team’s status. An earlier publication from the CAHB had reportedly omitted Nigeria from the final list of participating nations, a situation that had triggered significant negative remarks and concern among Nigerian handball stakeholders and the global handball community.
The 27th Men’ Seniors Africa Nations Cup « RWANDA 2026 » is scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from January 21st to 31st, 2026. Rwanda was selected as the host nation after successfully organizing the Africa Cup of Nations for U-20 and U-18 teams in 2022, underscoring its growing commitment to African handball development.
Following the confirmation, the CAHB Executive Committee has instructed the HFN to immediately “make all the necessary arrangements for the actual participation of your team.” This directive signals the need for the Handball Federation of Nigeria to quickly finalize logistics, training camps, and team preparations ahead of the January tournament.
Nigeria will now join the continent’s elite national teams in Kigali as they compete for the coveted African title and a chance to qualify for the IHF Men’s World Handball Championship.
