Cameroon End Rwanda’s African Youth Handball Championship Campaign

Rwanda’s U18 men’s handball team concluded their African Youth Nations Championship campaign on Monday following a 35-21 defeat to Cameroon. The match, held in Abidjan, served as a classification game for fifth to eighth place in the World Cup qualifiers.

The Rwandan side remained competitive during the first half, trailing by only one goal at 13-12. However, Cameroon increased their offensive output in the second half, scoring 22 goals compared to Rwanda’s nine to secure the victory.

Giramahoro Pacifique led the scoring for Rwanda with five goals, while Uhwiyere Samuel contributed four. Samuel Turinayo and Athanase Sibomana each added two goals to the team’s total.

Rwanda’s tournament run included a 33-26 loss to Morocco and a 36-36 draw against Libya during the group stage. The team advanced to the quarter-finals after Libya lost to Morocco, but they were subsequently defeated 25-22 by Guinea. This loss moved Rwanda into the classification matches, where they ultimately finished outside the top five positions required for World Cup qualification.

Head coach Anaclet Bagirishya noted that while the team did not secure a top-five finish, the tournament provided the young players with significant international experience and exposure to high-level competition.

Article and image source: allafrica.com