Zambia and Zimbabwe share titles in the IHF Trophy Africa Zone VI

Hosts Zambia produced a memorable performance throughout the 2026 Men's IHF Trophy – Africa Zone VI, claiming the youth (U18) title in Lusaka after edging Zimbabwe 29:28 in a breathtaking final, while Zimbabwe took the junior (U20) crown, in a competition which saw eight teams battle for the title between 28 April and 2 May.

Eight teams were divided into two groups of four in the U18 competition, with the top teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Zambia were the dominant force in Group A from the outset, sweeping their group matches with two wins from two, outscoring their opponents Lesotho (39:23), Mozambique (23:13) and Namibia (44:13). Namibia finished second in the group thanks to their 10:0 walkover win in the direct encounter in the first day, as both teams ended with two points each.

In Group B, the opening day set the tone for what was to come. Zambia's rivals in the other half of the draw, Zimbabwe, made an immediate statement with a 57:21 win over Malawi, followed by a 41:7 win against Eswatini and a 42:26 win over South Africa.

South Africa finished second and advanced to the semi-finals, with wins over Eswatini (44:13) and Malawi (35:27), as the other two sides were heading to the placement matches.

In the semi-finals, Zambia and Zimbabwe both advanced to set up an all-Southern African final. While Zimbabwe took apart Namibia, 48:14, Zambia also secured a crunch win against South Africa, 33:17, as the two unbeaten teams now clashed for the trophy.

And what a clash it was! It was a game of cat and mouse, with Zambia first taking an early three-goal lead, 11:8, and entered with a two-goal lead at the break, 16:14. Zimbabwe roared back and took the lead first after 37 minutes, 17:18, and then with nine minutes to go, 24:25.

However, Zambia, powered by Kasoka Sinyama and Kalubi Lubosi, who scored eight goals each, finished the match with a 5:3 run and secured the 29:28 win, enough to lift the trophy.

In the bronze medal match, South Africa took a 33:17 win over Namibia, as Mozambique finished fifth, Malawi sixth, Lesotho seventh and Eswatini eighth.

Zimbabwe’s Bekezela Chiwala was the top scorer, with 42 goals, followed by Zambia’s Lubosi, with 38 goals, and Lesotho’s Qete Molise, with 36 goals.

Eight teams were divided into two groups of four in the U20 competition, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Zimbabwe were the dominant force in Group A from the outset, sweeping all three of their group matches. They opened with a commanding 33:15 win over South Africa, before adding a dominating performance, 47:18 against Namibia, and completing their group stage with a 49:20 over Lesotho, finishing with a goal difference of +76 from three matches. 

South Africa finished second in the group with four points, securing their semi-final berth thanks to victories over Lesotho, 42:19, and Namibia, 42:32.
In Group B, Mozambique were the surprise winners, with two wins in three matches. Losing the first match by a walkover, 0:10, against Eswatini made Mozambique more motivated and they finished up the group with a 45:35 win over Malawi and a 21:16 win over Zambia.

The hosts, Zambia, made it to the semi-finals, after wins against Malawi (26:17) and Eswatini, 49:24, but were defeated by Zimbabwe, in a high-stakes, do-or-die match, which went down to the wire.

John Tikambenji Kandyata did score 13 goals for Zambia, with the score tied at the break (14:14), as well after the regular time, 29:29, as Zambia tied the score at the buzzer. However, Zimbabwe mounted a comeback in the third overtime half, forcing their way to a 35:34 win.

As Mozambique won the other semi-final, 33:26 against South Africa, the battle in the final was once again on the spot in the first half, but, eventually, Zimbabwe had too much firepower for their opponents.

Tichafara Mubvakure, Panashe Mutsau and Tapiwanaishe Karimatsenga each scored seven goals to lift Zimbabwe to a 36:32 win, while Zambia finished third, with a 31:16 win over South Africa in the bronze medal match.

Malawi finished fifth, followed by Namibia, Eswatini and Lesotho.

Malawi’s Victor Katchale was by far the top scorer, with 58 goals, 20 more than John Tikambenji Kandyata from Zambia and Karimatsenga.

Zimbabwe’s junior team and Zambia’s youth team made it to the Continental Phase of the Men’s IHF Trophy.

In the semi-finals, Zimbabwe faced Zambia in what proved to be a preview of the final. The Zimbabweans were razor-sharp, edging their hosts 35:34 in a nail-biting encounter, while South Africa were beaten by Mozambique in the other semi-final, setting up an unexpected bronze medal match.

Zimbabwe carried their form into the final, where they outclassed Zambia 35:31 to claim the gold medal, with the Zambian team having to settle for silver despite their impressive group stage campaign. In the bronze medal match, Mozambique took third place, while Lesotho finished fourth.

Zimbabwe's victory meant they qualified for the Continental Phase of the Men's IHF Trophy, continuing the IHF's mission to develop handball talent across Southern Africa and provide a structured pathway for the region's emerging junior talent

The bronze medal match rounded off the competition, while the fifth-place play-off also took place to determine the final standings.

In the junior (U20) competition, Zimbabwe claimed the title after defeating Mozambique 36:32 in the final, with the Zimbabweans qualifying for the Continental Phase of the Men's IHF Trophy alongside Zambia, who secured the U18 crown.

Both the Zambia U18 and Zimbabwe U20 teams earned their berths at the next stage of the IHF Trophy pathway, continuing the IHF's mission to develop handball talent across Southern and Eastern Africa