L. MathekaHandball: Kenya out of World Championship contention
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 22.01.24. | 08:38
The team plays Cameroon in their first classification match on Tuesday 23 January from 18:00 hrs local time (7 pm EAT)
National men’s handball team is out of contention for one of the five places reserved for African teams to the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship.
The Peter Mwathi and Brian Matthews-led side lost all their Group D matches at the ongoing Africa Senior Cup of Nations tourney in Cairo, Egypt to be relegated to the ninth-place playoff matches.
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Kenya was pooled alongside ten-time champions Tunisia, 2004, 2016, and 2018 bronze medalists Angola and Nigeria who have made 14 appearances in the continental competition since inception.
The East Africans opened their account with a clash against Tunisia on Wednesday, 17, going down 59-18 and their comeback attempt fell short as they lost 48-20 to Angola on 19 January. In the final group match, Kenya faced Nigeria, going down 32-23.
Kenya will now play in the classification matches as the 16-team competition moves to the knockout stages. The next opponent for Mwathi’s charges is Cameroon, a side that has featured in the continental competition 18 times, their best finishing being silver back in 1974.
The Central Africans were in Group B which had hosts Egypt, Guinea, and Congo, registering one win against Congo in a 25-21 outcome before falling to Guinea 23-19 and 35-16 to the hosts to finish third.
Scheduled for Tuesday 23 January from 18:00 hrs local time, the two sides will look to register a win, the first for Kenya should they overpower their opponent. The winner will play the victorious side in the match-up between Rwanda and Gabon.
Cairo, Egypt - Jan 17, 2024: Cameron Handball National team celebration.
— The Middle Frame (@themiddleframer) January 21, 2024
The Cameron Handball national team celebrates achieving victory over Congo national team in the first confrontation of the two teams in the second group of the African Men's Handball Championship 2024 at pic.twitter.com/r08awwoYCI
Meanwhile, eight teams are through to the main quarters where 2022 runners-up Cape Verde take on reigning bronze medalists Morocco in a clash that has all the ingredients of a thriller. The North Africans will be baying for blood, having lost 23-19 to the Islanders in the semifinals of the 2022 edition.
Algeria plays DR Congo with hosts and defending champions Egypt taking on Angola. Tunisia and Guinea clash in the last quarters' clash of the 2024 edition.
The semis are slated for 25 January with the final set to be played on 27 January.
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