By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
NIGERIA’s GOLDEN Arrows on Saturday night at the BK Arena in Kigali before an appreciable crowd of 4,500 fans fired the host nation of the 37th African Handball Championships, Rwanda 30 goals to 20 with half time scores at 14-10 in favor of Nigeria.
The match was so tensed as host nation did not want to go down without a fight but got a red card from Andrew Akayezu who had three 2 minutes suspension. Rwanda had to ask for three-time outs in the 18:44, 42:43 and 51:04 minutes to douse the forays of the Golden Arrows of Nigeria Fidele Hagenimaria also got 2 minutes suspension twice. Yves Kayijamehe scored 11 of their 20 goals.
In the ensuing melee, Gbenga Cole of Nigeria got a yellow while Dike Ibrahim got the 2 minutes suspension twice. Nigeria requested for time out twice in the 18:09 minute and 53:41 minute to re-strategize against the host team. Kehinde Salami again produced 8 goals for Nigeria; while Farouk Yusuf scored 5 goals.
In the last two games played Rwanda lost to Algeria 25-46 but beat Zambia 30-19. Rwanda is coming to the African final series for the second time and is already hosting a major tournament. Of course, she never had a podium finish at this high level for she placed 14th among the 16 teams in attendance at Egypt 2024. Nigeria and Rwanda never played any game against each other in Handball.
Nigeria is in their 17th appearance and her best was 4th position when she lost to Egypt 26-35 at South Africa 1998. She placed 11th twice at Algeria 2014 and Tunisia 2020.
In the other group A match played earlier today, Algeria defeated Zambia 37-21 with half time scores at 19-9 for Algeria before a crowd of 500 fans.
Bwalya Banda got 2 minutes suspension twice when Felix Kabunda was again their highest scorer with 7 goals in the match. Pritchhard Syakwayi and Nyanya Andriscal scored 4 goals each to be top scorers of Zambia in the game/
Two Algerian players got yellow cards as Ahmed Mahdi scored 6 goals and four other players namely Hichen Daoud, Rabah Maddahim, Nori Benhalima and Ayyoub Abdi scored 4 goals each.
Algeria and Zambia had met at the opening game of group D in Zambia’s debut played on the 16th January 2020 which Algeria won 34 goals to 9.
Final Group A table stands as Nigeria leading with full 6 points from 3 games won scoring 91 goals and conceding 61 with a goals difference of +30; Algeria is 2nd with 4 points from 3 games having won 2 and lost one scoring 106 goals and conceding 71 with a goals difference of 35; Rwanda id 3rd with 2 points from a win and no draw scoring 75 goals and conceding 95 with goals difference of -20 while Zambia is at the bottom with no point no draw in 3 games scoring 58 goals and conceding 103 with a goals difference of -45.
Eight teams, two each from the bottom of each of the four groups will go and play for the President’s Cup which is less fancied to the main trophy. They will also play verification matches to determine rankings and placing from Africa.
Nigeria will test might against Africa’s most decorated team, Egypt in the semifinal on 27th January. The 3rd place match will precede the finals on 29th January.
Egypt is the defending champions of the tournament and has won the title for a good 9 times after Tunisia that has won the title a record 10 times.
The tournament that started Wednesday 21st January is expected to draw her curtain on 31st January and this tournament will stand as qualifications for Africa’s representatives at the World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany in 2027. The next Men’s world Handball cup tournament will take place in Germany from 13th to 31st January 2027 with 32 teams on parade, five from each Confederation.
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