Rwanda’s U20 men’s handball team completed a remarkable turnaround in Abidjan on Tuesday, crushing Zimbabwe 32-16 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the African Men’s Junior Handball Championship.

After opening their campaign with a heavy 36-20 defeat to Guinea, the junior side bounced back with consecutive victories, first overcoming hosts Côte d’Ivoire 30-25 before dismantling Zimbabwe in their final Group A game to secure a place in the last eight.

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The result sealed Rwanda’s passage to the knockout stage and capped an impressive recovery from a difficult opening day.

Rwanda wasted little time taking control against Zimbabwe, racing into a 17-10 lead at half-time before extending their advantage after the break.

Thierry Ineza led the scoring with a perfect eight goals from eight attempts, while Dieudonne Habumugisha added three goals.

The victory marked a dramatic change in fortunes for a side that looked vulnerable after their opening defeat to Guinea.

From suffering a 16-goal defeat in their first match to securing a 16-goal victory against Zimbabwe, Rwanda have turned their campaign around at the right time.

The quarter-finals will present a new challenge, but coach Hafedz Zouabi’s young side will enter the knockout stage with renewed confidence after finding their rhythm in Abidjan.

Angola topped Group B after beating Nigeria 29-25 in their final group match and will be Rwanda’s quarter-final opponents.