Team Kenya ready for handball Africa Cup tourney in Rwanda
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 17.01.26. | 13:59
The showpiece doubles as the African qualifying tournament for the 2027 World Men's Handball Championship in Germany, with the top five nations bagging slots to the global competition
National men's handball team, under coach Peter Mwathi, is gearing for the 27th men’s senior handball African Cup of Nations scheduled for Wednesday, 21 to Saturday, 31 January in Rwanda.
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The team has been in training at the Nyayo handball court in readiness for the country's sixth appearance in the continental showpiece, which has attracted 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams.
It will be the first time in history that the championship will be organised by Rwanda and the first time that it will be held in East Africa.
The showpiece doubles as the African qualifying tournament for the 2027 World Men's Handball Championship in Germany, with the top five nations bagging slots to the global competition.
Coach Mwathi is hoping for an improved outing this time round, banking on the new league format that has introduced a top-tier league for the men, adding to the competitiveness of the league and subsequently a better pool of players to choose from.
The tactician says the squad has focused on defensive structures and attacking systems in the last two weeks of training, lauding his charges for their attitude and energy in the preparations.
"We have ensured that the players have a good understanding of our system of play. The squad is made of players from the top tier league, and I am happy to see that the intensity is higher compared to other times when we had a one-tier league. The players have responded well to training, and we are now going to do our final touches on specific position play before we travel for competition," coach Mwathi told the media in a recent interview.
The provisional squad of 29 that started preparations at the start of the month, with most of the players fresh from the East and Central Africa Handball Federation (ECAHF) tourney held in Rwanda, is expected to be whittled down to 18 before heading out for duty in Kigali.
Kenya is in group C alongside Guinea, defending champions Tunisia, and Cameroon. Group A has Algeria, Nigeria, hosts Rwanda, and Zambia. Group B has former champions Egypt, Angola, Gabon, and debutants Uganda. Group D comprises Cape Verde, Morocco, Congo, and Benin.
Since making her debut in 2004, the national team has missed out on the knockout stages, their best finish being ninth place on debut. Last year the team placed 15th.
