Rwanda produced a memorable performance throughout the 2026 Men's IHF Trophy – Africa Zone V, claiming both the junior (U20) and the youth (U18) titles in Lusaka after edging hosts Ethiopia and Burundi respectively in high-octane finals in the competition which took place between 4 and 8 May, in Addis Ababa.

In the junior competition, eight teams lined up at the start, which were divided into two groups of four teams each, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the semi-finals and extending their chances for a title.

Rwanda were sent to Group B, where they first started with a 46:19 win over Tanzania, which was promptly followed by a 42:18 win over Djibouti. In the last match of the group, they dominated hosts Ethiopia in a high-scoring match, 39:35, where Valentin Mugisha scored 17 goals for Rwanda.

Thanks to their 66:23 win over Djibouti and 49:29 win over Tanzania, Ethiopia also made it to the semi-finals, as the second-placed team in the group.

In Group A, Uganda were the dominating force, throwing off with a 31:22 win over Burundi, followed up with a 54:24 win over South Sudan, but the decider against Kenya was full of twists and turns, as, eventually, Uganda secured the first place, with a 36:35 win. Kenya followed up in the standings,after their wins against South Sudan, 63:25, and Burundi, 35:32.

The semi-final between Rwanda and Kenya was another high-octane clash, with Rwanda dominating from start to finish. Thierry Ineza (12 goals), Valentin Mugisha (11 goals) and Charles Iradukunda (10 goals) combine for 33 goals for Rwanda, as Kenya’s Ismael Mubarak also scored 13 goals, in a 41:33 win for Rwanda.

The other semi-final was another close call, but Ethiopia eventually turned the tables and secured a 41:39 win over Uganda, making it to the final.

While the gap in the final was two goals, Rwanda were the team that dominated throughout the 60 minutes, leading by as many as seven goals, 33:26, with 10 minutes to go in the match.

Eventually, Ethiopia cut that gap, 39:37, thanks to 10 goals from Siato Fekadu and Fasil Nigusse Bedasa each, but Mugisha’s 13 goals were enough to keep them at bay and crown Rwanda as champions.

In the bronze medal match, Uganda’s attempt for a comeback fell short and Kenya eventually sealed the last place on the podium, with a 35:34 win.

Burundi finished fifth, followed by Tanzania, Djibouti and South Sudan in the final standings.

Rwanda’s Valentin Mugisha was the top scorer, with 60 goals, followed by Uganda’s Patrick Trevor Odur, with 53 goals and Ethiopia’s Fasil Nigusse Bedasa, with 42 goals.

The same format was used for the youth (U18) competition, with the eight teams divided into two groups of four each, with the top two sides progressing to the semi-finals from each group.

Once again, Rwanda won their group, thanks to a 52:24 win over Tanzania, a 10:0 walkover win over Djibouti and a fantastic 49:48 dramatic match against Kenya, where Kenya’s Antony Barasa Sirengo scored 19 goals.

Kenya finished second, with a 64:14 win over Djibouti and a 42:33 win over Tanzania, making it to the semi-finals.

In Group B, Burundi dominated their opponents, starting with a 56:18 win over South Sudan, following up with a 45:38 over Uganda and a 35:25 win over hosts Ethiopia.

Uganda finished second, as their 44:39 win over Ethiopia and the 44:35 win over South Sudan brought them four points, two more than Ethiopia.

The first semi-final was a tightly-knit affair between Burundi and Kenya, as Barasa Sirengo added 15 more goals, but it was not enough in the end, with Burundi taking a 32:31 win, after leading 17:16 at the break, led by Caleb Irishura, who had 15 goals.

Rwanda also had their share of issues in the semi-final, but eventually emerged unscathed, securing a 34:30 win over Uganda and having the chance to do the double.

The final match against Burundi was full of twists and turns, with Burundi never letting their opponents to go out of sight, but with 17 seconds left in the final, Uwihoreye Samuel scored his sixth goal of the game, to give Rwanda the lead, 39:38, and setting the final score of the match.

In the bronze medal match, Kenya beat Uganda, 41:29, with Tanzania ending up fifth, Ethiopia sixth, South Sudan seventh and Djibouti eighth.

Kenya’s Antony Barasa Sirengo was the top scorer of the competition, with 70 goals, an astonishing average of 14 goals per match, followed by Burundi’s Caleb Irishura (55 goals) and Ugan’a's Kelvis Alyanyijuka, with 42 goals.

Both Rwanda teams qualified for the Continental phase of the  2026 Men's IHF Trophy – Africa zone.

Photo credit: Rwanda Handball Federation