Things did not go as planned for Nigeria's under-24 in their IHF Emerging Nations Championship opener.
Nigeria's under-24 male handball team started their journey in the IHF Emerging Nations Championship with a defeat against host Bulgaria.
The home side was just too strong and good for their Nigerian counterparts who gave it their all before falling to a four-point loss.
The Game in brief
Led by Coach Solomon Yola, the boys knew that the match against Bulgaria would be a herculean task and still put up a fight in a bid to cause an upset.
But the men met a brick wall in the first half following a tight 13-11 victory in favour of the host.
The second half did not go as planned as well for the gallant Nigerians despite an improved performance.
Bulgaria, inspired by the support coming from the home fans at the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, finished strongly in the second half to win the match 23-19.
Nigeria will play Azerbaijan on Thursday at 5 pm. Azerbaijan had lost their first match to Bulgaria 30-19.