Rwanda’s national handball team made a strong and confident start to the African Men’s Handball Championship, defeating Zambia 30–19 in their opening match played at BK Arena.
The match, held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, officially marked the start of the 27th edition of the African Men’s Handball Championship, which Rwanda is hosting for the very first time. The tournament will run until January 31, 2026, with matches being staged at BK Arena and Petit Stade in Kigali.
Rwanda is competing in Group A alongside Algeria, Nigeria, and Zambia, and kicked off their campaign against Zambia in front of a lively home crowd at BK Arena.
The encounter followed the official opening ceremony of the championship, which was attended by several high-profile guests, including Rwanda’s Minister of Sports, Ms. Nelly Mukazayire, the President of the African Handball Confederation (CAHB), Dr. Mansourou Aremou, and the President of the Rwanda Handball Federation (FERWAHAND), Alfred Twahirwa.
From the opening whistle, Rwanda imposed themselves with sharp attacking play and a disciplined defense that caused Zambia serious problems. The hosts went into halftime comfortably ahead with a 17–8 lead.
Rwanda maintained the same intensity in the second half, controlling the tempo and sealing a convincing 30–19 victory.
Kayijamahe Yves was the standout performer of the match, scoring an impressive 10 goals, while Nshimiyimana Alexis and Rwamanywa Viateur each added five goals to Rwanda’s tally.
Rwanda will return to action on Thursday, January 22, 2026, when they face Algeria at BK Arena at 7:00 PM local time.
In their opening match, Algeria edged Nigeria 25–23.
Results from Wednesday’s Matches
Group B
Angola 37–21 Uganda
Egypt 36–25 Gabon
Group C
Guinea 36–27 Kenya
Tunisia 41–22 Cameroon
Group D
Morocco 52–28 Benin
Cape Verde 34–28 Congo
The championship, which also serves as a qualifier for the Handball World Championship, continues on Thursday with two matches in each group:
Group A
Nigeria vs Zambia – 5:00 PM (Petit Stade)
Algeria vs Rwanda – 7:00 PM (BK Arena)
Group B
Gabon vs Uganda – 1:00 PM (Petit Stade)
Egypt vs Angola – 5:00 PM (BK Arena)
Group C
Cameroon vs Kenya – 1:00 PM (BK Arena)
Tunisia vs Guinea – 7:00 PM (Petit Stade)
Group D
Cape Verde vs Morocco – 1:00 PM (BK Arena)
Congo vs Benin – 3:00 PM (Petit Stade)
