In the presence of the Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, and many fans who filled BK Arena, Rwanda’s Men’s National Handball Team made a strong start to the final phase of the Africa Cup of Nations being held in Kigali, defeating Zambia 30–19 on Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
The match took place at BK Arena and kicked off at 2:00 PM, following the official opening ceremony of the 27th edition of the tournament, which brings together 16 countries.
The ceremony was attended by various officials, including the Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire; the Minister of Trade and Industry, Prudence Sebahizi; the President of CAHB, Dr. Mansourou Aremou; and the President of FERWAHAND, Twahirwa Alfred.
Rwanda started the match strongly, finishing the first 10 minutes with a commanding 7–1 lead. Although Zambia attempted to put up resistance, Rwanda continued to dominate, ending the first half with a score of 17–8.
In the second half, Rwanda’s coaching staff led by Fayedh Zouabi gave playing time to many players, resting some of the key starters. This allowed Zambia to slightly raise their level, but Rwanda maintained control of the match. In the final minutes, the key players returned to the court, and the game ended with Rwanda winning 30–19.
Kayijamahe Yves was named Man of the Match after scoring 10 goals, followed by Rwamanywa Viateur and Nshimiyimana Alexis, who each scored five goals. For Zambia, Syakwayi Prichard scored six goals.
In other matches played that day, Nigeria defeated Algeria 25–23, Egypt beat Gabon 36–25, while Tunisia defeated Cameroon 41–22. Rwanda will return to action this Thursday against Algeria at 7:00 PM at BK Arena.
