Tag: Ardova Handball Premier League

The Indoor Sports Hall of the National Institute of Sports, Surulere, Lagos, erupted in celebration on Friday as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) teams — Safety Shooters and Safety Babes, were crowned champions of the Ardova Handball Premier League 2025, following an elaborate finale graced by members of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) board and top executives of Ardova PLC.

The Ardova Handball Premier League 2025, which began with the first phase in Benin City months ago, before the second phase in Lagos which ends with a finale that the Executive Chairman of Ardova PLC, Dr. Abdulwasiu Sowami, ably represented by the Deputy Managing Director, Ardova PLC, Mrs Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, described as delightful to watch in her speech.

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For Safety Shooters, it was a historic moment as they clinched the men’s title for the first time since 2020, completing a dominant campaign that saw them finish top of the table with 57 points from 20 matches while Safety Babes also etched their name deeper into Nigerian handball history, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive women’s championship, reaffirming their status as the league’s most dominant team, not just in the women’s category but in the history of handball premier league in Nigeria.

In the Men’s Safety Shooters finished the season in style, beating COAS Shooters 43–32 (20–10) to cap off a dominant outing in Phase 2.

Their final-day victory ensured they remained clear at the summit with an impressive 18 wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling a superb goal difference of +214 after scoring 638 goals and conceding 424.

The 2025 Ardova Handball Premier League threw off in explosive fashion yesterday at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, with COAS Shooters forcing a dramatic 26-26 draw against defending champions Tojemarine Handball Club in the headline fixture of Day 1 in the men’s category.

The highly anticipated encounter lived up to expectation on Tuesday as Tojemarine HBC, who won the league last season, were pushed to the limit by second-placed COAS Shooters with both sides matching each other, goal-for-goal in a pulsating contest which thrilled the fans

Earlier on,  in the men’s category, League leader, Safety Shooters opened their Phase 2 campaign on a strong note with a commanding 25–15 victory over Osun United to remain top, while Rima Strikers overwhelmed Benue Buffaloes 36–16.

Lagos Seasiders fell 21–28 to a somewhat complacent Niger United side who got their art together late on while Correction Boys comfortably saw off De Defenders 34-27.

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In the women’s category, defending champions Safety Babes showed why they remain the team to beat as they began their quest for an unprecedented fifth consecutive league title with a dominant 40–27 win over Rivers Queens.

Imo Grasshoppers also edged title contenders a jet lagged Rima Queens 28–27 in a tense, high-stakes battle, while Omo Ogiefo Academy of Benin stunned former champions Plateau Peacocks 26–24. Ekiti Queens confidently defeated 35–26 victory over Defender Babes.

The Ardova Handball Premier League Phase 2 continues today at Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba, Lagos and all matches will be played there till November 30, before matches resumes at the NIS Indoor Sports Hall.

Ardova Handball Premier League  Day 1 Results:

Men’s Category:

1. Safety Shooters 25-15 Osun United

2. Benue Buffaloes 16-36 Rima Strikers

3. Lagos Seasiders 21-28 Niger United

4. Correction Boys 34-27 De Defenders

5. COAS Shooters 26-26 Tojemarine HBC

Women’s Category:

1. Ekiti Queens 35-26 Defender Babes

2. Omo Ogiefo Academy 26-24 Plateau Peacocks

3. Imo Grasshoppers 28-27 Rima Queens

4. Safety Babes 40-27 Rivers Queens

The  2025 Ardova Handball Premier League  enters its decisive Phase 2  from today in Lagos with teams across the men’s and women’s divisions bracing for defining fixtures as  the title race gets underway.

For the opening three match days, matches will be played at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, before the competition shifts to the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) at the National Stadium, Surulere, for the remainder of the phase.

As the action resumes, Matchday 1 already promises several crucial fixtures across both categories; games that could set the tone for the rest of the phase.

In the men’s division, league leaders Safety Shooters open against Osun United, a side that may prove stubborn defensively but will need something extra to trouble the high-scoring leaders while Rima Strikers, who sit third, begin their hunt for the top spot with a tricky tie against Benue Buffaloes.

Lagos Seasiders will be banking on home support when they tackle Niger United in what is expected to be a physically contested encounter as Correction Boys face De Defenders in a match between two sides determined to avoid slipping into the lower half of the standings.

The standout fixture of the day, however, is the clash between COAS Shooters and defending champions Tojemarine HC, a battle that carries early implications for the title picture as both sides eye vital points.

The women’s fixtures are equally compelling. Ekiti Queens face Defender Babes in the opening tie of the category, followed by an exciting matchup between impressive Phase 1 debutants Soof Omo Ogiefo HBC and former champions Plateau Peacocks.

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Seasoned campaigners Imo Grasshoppers will test their strength against title-chasing Rima Queens, while defending champions Safety Babes begin their chase for a historic fifth consecutive league crown with a tough duel against Rivers Queens.

Safety Babes remain the team to beat in the women’s category as they continue their push for an unprecedented fifth straight title. They top the standings with 21 points after an excellent outing in Phase 1 in Benin City.

Their closest rivals, Rima Queens of Sokoto, sit just two points behind with 19 and remain a strong threat. Former champions Plateau Peacocks are third with 15 points, while the experienced Imo Grasshoppers and impressive debutants Soof Omo Ogiefo HBC are tied on 13 points, ensuring a tight chase for top positions.

The men’s division promises even fiercer battles. Safety Shooters head into the Lagos phase with 28 points and a formidable +91 goal difference, but they are level on points with rivals COAS Shooters, whose +50 difference keeps them just behind in second place. Rima Strikers (25 points) and defending champions Tojemarine HC (24 points) complete a competitive top four, setting up an unpredictable phase where every point matters.

Safety Shooters and Safety Babes of Abuja have emerged leaders in the male and female category after the first phase of the Ardova Handball Premier League, which ended in Benin, Edo State on Friday.

According to the league table released  by the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Safety Shooters amassed 28 points from 10 games, same as COAS Shooters who are second on inferior goal difference with both teams losing a game apiece in the male category.

Occupying the third position is Rima Strikers with seven wins, a draw and two losses to finish the phase with 25 points. Defending champions Tojemarine Academy are fourth with six wins, two draws and two defeats to end up with 24 points.

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Correction Boys are in fifth position having won five games, drawn two and losing three to finish with 22 points. In sixth position are former champions, Niger United. The Minna-based team struggled to win four games, drew one and lost five to amass 19 points. Seventh-placed Osun United also has 19 points but has an inferior goal difference to Niger.

With three wins and seven losses, De defenders are placed eighth with 16 points, Ninth placed Adamawa Warriors have 15 points after winning two games, drawing one and losing seven.

Benue Buffaloes and Lagos Islanders  placed 10^th  and 11^th  respectively. Both teams won one game and lost nine to end the phase with 12 points with Buffaloes occupying the 10th place on superior goal difference.

Leaders in the female category, Safety Babes won all their seven games to emerge tops with 21 points while Rima Queens are second with 19 points from six wins and one lose.

In third place are Plateau Peacocks with 15 points from four wins and three draws. Imo Grasshoppers finished in fourth place with three wins, three losses and one draw to amass 14 points.

Fifth-placed Omo Ogiefo Academy ended in fifth place. They won three games and lost four to garner 13 points. Rivers Queens are sixth with two wins, two draws and three defeats to end up with 13 points.

Defender Babes have one win, six losses from seven games and have 10 points to place seventh while Ekiti Queens lost all their games and only managed to get seven points

The first of the Ardova Handball Premier League will come to an end today at the sports hall of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, Edo State.

According to the fixtures, six thrilling encounters will take place today as teams continue to battle for points

In the first game, Benue Buffaloes will take on Osun United, Lagos Seasiders will battle Adamawa Warriors in the second game, while De Defenders lock horns with COAS Shooters.

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In other games, Correction Boys will play Tojemarine Academy, Niger United take on Safety Shooters while the only female match will be between Omo Ogiefo and Rima Queens.

President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Sam Ocheho, commended the teams for their skillful display while urging to put up better performances at the second phase in Lagos.

He hailed the sponsor, Ardova PLC, for partnering the HFN to take handball to a new height, noting that the history of the game in Nigeria will not be complete in the country without the mention of Ardova.

He also said host Edo State have a worthy partner of the HFN having host the Premier and the Division one League.

Chief of Army Staff Shooters continue to impress in the Ardova Handball Premier League after beating Safety Shooters in a nail-biting finish that ended 32-31 in Benin, Edo State.

The game kept the fans on the edge of their seats as both sides entertained throughout the  Monday’s encounter. The newly promoted COAS came from 14-13 goals down in the first half to record the famous win.

It was not clear where the pendulum of victory would swing throughout the game until COAS delivered the final goal moments before the final whistle.

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In  the other games, Osun United  shocked league leaders, 28-24 having raced to 18-11 lead in the first half. Correction Boys also bounced back from Monday’s defeat against Rima Strikers as they beat Benue Buffaloes 26-18.

In the female category, Imo Grasshoppers lost to Safety Babes 31-26 while River Angels beat Ekiti Queens 31-23.

Safety Babes continued their dominance in the Ardova Handball Premier League with a 40-28 win over Plateau Peacock of Jos in Lagos yesterday.

The champions are yet to drop a point this season and are looking good for another title after beating Peacocks with a commanding performance.

Coach Innocent Nwankwo stood on the touchline, directing play and ensuring that his players paid attention to the tactical instructions he dished out throughout the game.

The players also responded with their beautiful display as they dominated their opponent to record another win.

In other games in women’s category, Rivers Queens defeated Delta Queens 30-29, while Seasiders Babes defeated Rima Queens 23-22.

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In the men’s category, Lagos Seasiders lost to Rima Strikers 29-24, Correction Boys beat Sunshine kings 40-25, while De Defenders lost to Benue Buffaloes 30-19.

The president of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Sam Ocheho, commended the teams for their performance urging them to do better in subsequent games.

He said:  “I must commend the teams for the performance they have put up so far in the league. They have shown determination, good understanding of the game and hopefully, the game will continue to be on the rise.

“The sponsors have also been very supportive and I appreciate them for being with us for this long. We can only hope that the relationship become more enduring.”

In what  was  a record-setting game at the ongoing Ardova Handball Premier League, Imo Grasshoppers yesterday  defeated COAS Babes 43-41 in  an energy-sapping match in Lagos.

It is the first time both the winning and losing teams will record over 40 goals in a game. It was obvious that both teams were focused on winning the game but it was Grasshoppers who edge forward in the closing stages to win the game.

There was little to separate the two sides but the former multiple national league champions had to rely on experience to defeat the energetic COAS Babes.

 Defensive plays made little difference in this game as both teams went all out for the win, in the process, setting a league record.

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Fans were on the edge of their seats urging both sides to go for more goals, which they responded to multiple times in the game. Both sets of players, who were visibly tired after the game, got  applause from appreciative fans.

In other game in the female category, Seasiders Babes defeated Plateau Peacocks 28-25.

In the men’s category, De Defenders defeated Correction Boys 26-25 in a close game, Sunshine Kings and Benue Buffaloes game ended in a tie (23-23), while Safety Shooters beat Adamawa Warriors 44-28.

Today, Benue Buffaloes lock horns with Correction Boys, Sunshine Kings takes on D: Defenders, Rima Strikers battle Adamawa Warriors, Niger United meet Lagos Seasiders, while Safety Shooters takes on Tojemarine Academy.

By Oluwamayomikun Orekoya

The 22 teams participating in the Ardova Handball Premier League are expected in Lagos today for the second phase of the  tournament  holding between  November  27  and December 8.

Following  the conclusion of the first phase Benin, the matches  for the second phase will be played at the National Institute of Sports Hall in Surulere and the Rowe Park Sports centre, Yaba

In the men’s category, all eyes will be on league leaders, Tojemarine Academy as they hope to continue their lead in the second phase against seventh place Corrections Boys.

Tojemarine are leading the pack with 33 points; four points above second place Rima Strikers who will begin their Phase 2 campaign against De Defenders

Niger United will hope to salvage their defence in the second phase against Sunshine Kings who are 10^th  on the log.

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In the women’s category, defending champion, Safety Babes, who are unbeaten in over two years and lead  with 27 points will begin their second phase campaign against sixth placed Rivers Queens while Defender Babes who are second on the league log with 23 points play fourth place Rima Queens.

Also, the Handball Federation of Nigeria has released the schedule of fixtures for the league.

The tournament director of the Ardova Handball Premier League, Shina Sanya, said the schedule of fixtures was released way ahead of time to help teams to adequately prepare for the league.

“As we usually do, we have released the schedule of fixtures way ahead of time so that the 22 participating teams will commence adequate preparation ahead the matches

” I do believe all the teams have seen the fixtures and will adequately prepare and schedule their travels so they get to Lagos and attend the technical meeting before playing their opponents,” Sanya said.

The second phase in Lagos will see the winners of the league in the men and women categories crowned champions.

CAF Women’s Champions League :