The next generation of African handball talent will gather in Abidjan from 15 to 22 September for the 22nd African Men’s Youth Handball Championship, with 14 teams set to battle for the continental crown and qualification opportunities for the 2027 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

The competition brings together Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tunisia and Zambia, with the teams drawn into four preliminary groups. The top two from each group will progress to the quarter-finals, creating an immediate incentive to start the tournament strongly.

Egypt have won seven of the last eight editions of the African Men’s Youth Championship and enter Abidjan as the three-time defending champions. Their latest triumph came in 2024 in Tunisia, when they defeated the hosts 34:29 in the final to claim their eighth title overall.

The only interruption to Egypt's dominance in that period came in 2016, when Tunisia claimed the title. Since then, Egypt have won the 2018, 2022 and 2024 editions, and their current generation will now attempt to extend a remarkable run of success at this age category.

Their record makes Egypt the clear reference point for the rest of the field, but the format leaves little room for complacency: a place in the knockout phase has to be secured before the title can be defended.

The preliminary phase will determine the eight teams that continue into the knockout rounds. With four groups and the top two advancing from each, every match carries weight from the opening day. Finishing first or second is enough to reach the quarter-finals, while a poor start can leave teams with very little margin for error. From there, the competition becomes a straight fight for the title, with the quarter-finals followed by the semi-finals and medal matches.

For the emerging teams, the format also provides an important opportunity: several sides will be facing continental opposition of this level with the chance to test themselves against established programmes before potentially reaching the knockout stage.

Group A brings together Egypt, Congo and Cameroon, while Group B features Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria and Madagascar, while Morocco, Rwanda and Libya will contest Group C.

Finally, Guinea, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire and Burundi make up Group D, with the hosts looking to use home advantage to progress to the knockout stages.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

The 2026 CAHB African Men's Youth Championship also forms part of the pathway towards the global stage, with the competition serving as a qualification event for the 2027 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, with five teams advancing to the world handball flagship competitiom.