Debutants Rwanda won their first match ever in the CAHB African Men's Championship after finishing the group stages with a commendable 36-25 victory over Zambia at Cairo Indoor Stadium, Egypt on Sunday.

Anaclet Bagirishya’s men were off their peak and had a stumbling start to the continental handball campaign, losing the first two fixtures to Group B rivals Cape Verde and DR Congo.

Their most recent defeat came at the hands of DR Congo (38-20) on Friday, January 19.

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Against Zambia, Rwanda started the game well, dominating the first half with a 18-12. Zambia tried to narrow the lead in the second half but Rwanda managed to maintain the momentum, and took it with 18-13, hence taking home with a 36-25 victory.

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Despite the win, Rwanda was not able to advance through the knockout stages after finishing third in Group A ahead of bottom-placed Zambia while Cape Verde and DR Congo progressed to the knockouts.

This means that Rwanda and Zambia will have to meet 6 other teams from other groups that have not yet reached the 1/4 in the competition called "President Cup'', which is played by teams that failed to qualify for knockout stages.

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The 26th edition of the CAHB African Men’s Championship serves as a qualification event not only for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games but also for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship.