Sports
HAFCON 2026: Golden Arrows crush Zambia for second successive wins
Nigeria’s senior men’s handball team, the Golden Arrows, continued their impressive start to the 27th Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup with a dominant 36–18 victory over Zambia yesterday in Kigali, Rwanda sealing a perfect two wins from two games in Group A.
Barely 24 hours after stunning seven-time champions Algeria 25–23 in their opening match, the Nigerians showed maturity, depth and attacking flair against Zambia. The Golden Arrows raced into a 17–10 halftime lead and never looked back, tightening their defence and accelerating the tempo in the second half to record one of the most convincing wins of Matchday 2.
The emphatic result further underlined Nigeria’s growing confidence on the continental stage and firmly placed them among the early contenders in Kigali.
Beyond Nigeria’s commanding display, Matchday 2 delivered drama and shifting narratives across all four groups of the competition.
In Group A, hosts Rwanda were involved in a high-profile clash with Algeria in a late kick off which they lost 46-25. Algeria who were seeking redemption after the defeat to Nigeria in the first game led 23-10 at half time and increased the gap in second half to win the game comfortably, while Nigeria’s rout of Zambia reshaped the group standings and set up a mouthwatering last group stage showdown.
Group B saw Egypt underline their pedigree with a strong 41–28 win over Angola, while Gabon bounced back in style, defeating Uganda 33–16 to keep their hopes alive.
In Group C, Cameroon edged Kenya 28–24 in a closely contested encounter, while Tunisia showed their class with a solid 35–25 victory over Guinea.
Group D produced surprises as Congo Brazzaville defeated Benin 26–22, and Cape Verde continued their fine form with a 33–28 win over Morocco, throwing the group wide open.
All participating teams will observe today as a rest day, allowing players to recover and coaches to fine-tune strategies ahead of a decisive Matchday 3 on Saturday, January 24.
For Nigeria, attention now turns to a blockbuster Group A clash against hosts Rwanda, a fixture that could determine the progress or otherwise for the Eastern African. With two wins already secured, the Golden Arrows will aim to maintain momentum against a Rwandan side buoyed by home support at the BK Arena.
Elsewhere, Algeria face Zambia in a must-win encounter having beaten Rwanda to revive their campaign, while other groups feature crucial ties that could define qualification prospects heading into the knockout stages.
Matchday 3 Fixtures (Saturday, January 24)
Group A: Zambia vs. Algeria; Nigeria vs. Rwanda
Group B: Angola vs. Gabon; Uganda vs. Egypt
Group C: Kenya vs. Tunisia; Guinea vs. Cameroon
Group D: Morocco vs. Congo Brazzaville; Benin vs. Cape Verde
Source link