Abdulraheem Aodu
7 October 2008
Kaduna — Nigeria and Cameroon have picked the first semi final tickets from the two groups at the ongoing Commonwealth West African Men Handball Championship taking place at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Indoor Sports Hall, Kaduna.
The Nigerian team playing in Group B defeated the Ghanaian national handball team 37-23 in a keenly contested match, which started with a pedestrian pace but built up to a feverish one, to emerge as the winner of the group and berth in the last four of the maiden championship.
The game resurrected the age long rivalry between the two sides with Ghana leading for most of the first quarter before Nigeria took the initiative to lead the first half 16-15. However, the second half started more businesslike with a blistering pace that saw Nigeria increase the gap rapidly between them and their rivals from one point to eight and in the last sixth 14.
Having taken the initiative, the Nigerians never let go and their commitment, determination and soaring confidence added to the rapturous home support saw them won the game comfortably to win a place in the semifinal having whitewashed Sierra Leone national handball team 46-12 in an earlier match of the tournament played on Monday.
Cameroon handball team playing in Group A defeated Team Kaduna 33 to 23 points in the first match of the six day Commonwealth tourney. The Cameroonians also won their second match against Gambia whom they handed a heavy whipping winning 47-6 to win the group and emerge as the first semi finalists from their group.
In the match five of the tournament, Team Kaduna redeemed its disappointing loss in the opening game to beat Gambia 49-22 and ensured its qualification for the semi final as runners up of the group and a quest against their compatriots, Nigeria in today's first semifinal game.
Playing the last match of the preliminary round, Ghana handball team handed Sierra Leone handball team a 44-23 defeat to pick the last semifinal ticket in the group and will now meet Cameroon in the today's second semifinal pairings. Sierra Leone plays Gambia in the losers' classification final to pick the teams that placed fifth and sixth position.
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