Group Following their successful representation of the country in the African Hockey Cup of Nations (ACN) in Ismailia, Egypt, Nigeria’s men’s and women’s hockey teams have returned home. Both teams, which were made up completely of local players who trained hard in Abuja for more than six weeks, put on fierce performances against some of Africa’s top hockey teams, including South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and the hosts, Egypt. The men’s team defeated Kenya 3-1 in the third-place playoff to win the bronze medal, which was their best result in recent years. With an outstanding eight goals, James Samaila of Nigeria emerged as the tournament’s top scorer.Speaking on arrival from Egypt, Engineer Simon Nkom, President of the Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF), praised both teams for their “dedication, teamwork, and resilience” and promised continued support for the sport’s growth. “Our players showed the true Nigerian spirit. We’ll keep building on this foundation to achieve greater results,” he said. Meanwhile, the women’s team, which had previously secured bronze in previous editions, put up a commendable fight but narrowly missed a podium finish this time.
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