Rwanda U20 handball head coach Hafedz Zouabi is racing against time to prepare his young squad for the 2026 African Men’s Junior Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Zouabi recently took charge of the junior team leaving him with less than a week to prepare the players for the continental tournament, which runs from September 5 to 12.

The limited preparation time is a major concern for the Tunisian coach, who admits the lack of training and competitive matches could prove costly at the championship.

Rwanda have at least managed to play one warm-up match, narrowly beating newly formed PEVIC HC 31-30 at Petit Stade in Kigali. The friendly allowed the technical staff to test combinations, assess players and work on their attacking and defensive systems.

"We have a short time to work on everything, defensive and attacking systems. The team is young and has a lot of energy, but sometimes they confuse speed with rushing,” Zouabi told Times Sport.

"Having little time to work on these details can cost you at the highest level.”

Rwanda’s last full gathering was during the IHF Trophy Zone V, meaning several months had passed before the players reunited for preparations for the African championship.

Zouabi is particularly concerned that some players lack competitive match experience heading into the tournament.

"Several players don’t have competitive matches in their legs,” he said.

Despite the challenges, the coach remains confident in the quality and commitment of his squad.

"They are very good players. They have the desire and they understand the responsibility they have to represent the country well.”

The friendly against PEVIC provided a valuable test, with the hosts also featuring players from Police HC and APR HC to strengthen their squad for the occasion.

Rwanda initially called up 23 players to camp before reducing the group to 18. The technical staff will select the final 16-man squad ahead of departure.

Rwanda confident despite tough group

Rwanda have been drawn alongside hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Zimbabwe in the group stage.

Although the opposition will be strong, Zouabi believes Rwanda have a realistic chance of reaching the knockout stage.

"I think the group we are in is very manageable,” he said. "Côte d’Ivoire may believe they had a good draw by having us in their group, but Zimbabwe and Guinea are also strong opponents.”

"We have very good individual players, but the strength of a team is its collective. I believe we can get out of the group.”

However, Zouabi is keeping expectations realistic and has set qualification for next year’s World Championship as the primary target.

"If I tell you we are going to win the cup, I would be lying to an entire nation. Our objective is to finish among the top five teams and qualify for the World Championship next year.”

Players building confidence

Goalkeeper Musa Ufitinema says the squad has responded positively to the intensive preparations, despite the short time available.

"The team is preparing well and we have confidence in ourselves. It is almost the same team that played in Zone V, and everyone is giving their best. The atmosphere is very good,” he said.

The players have been training twice a day, with the coaching staff focusing on improving both defensive and attacking phases.

"The coach is putting good things in place for our attacking and defensive phases, as well as controlling the ball during crucial moments.”

Ufitinema believes the friendly against PEVIC was an important test and helped the players build confidence before travelling to Côte d’Ivoire.

Rwanda are scheduled to depart for Abidjan in the early hours of Thursday ahead of their opening match on September 5.