APR HC bounced back from their opening defeat with a resolute 34-26 victory over Renaissance Don Bosco of the Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday in Luanda, Angola.

The Rwandan champions returned to winning ways after suffering a setback against hosts Petro Atlético in their opening Group A match on Tuesday.

APR set the pace from the start at Arena Klimba, taking a 16-12 lead into halftime before extending their advantage in the second half to seal an eight-goal victory.

New signing Yves Kayijamahe delivered an outstanding attacking performance, leading all scorers with 13 goals. Emmanuel Kubwimana, another recent recruit, added six, while Kenyan pivots Brian Wakhuka and Morgan Wafula Simiyu contributed five goals each.

Reflecting on APR’s response to their opening defeat, Kenyan pivot Brian Wakhuka highlighted the importance of maintaining the right mindset.

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"APR is a big club with a winning culture and military discipline,” Wakhuka said, adding that improvements in "defence and mentality” were crucial to turning their campaign around after the opening loss.

Captain Jean-Paul Muhawenayo, meanwhile, stressed the team’s wider motivation and the need to remain focused as they pursue qualification for the knockout stages.

"Our objective was to start strongly, but we fell short. Now we just have to stay disciplined,” Muhawenayo said.

"We want to compete at the highest level. Our first objective is to qualify for the next stage before pursuing further progress in the competition. We give everything to represent Rwandan handball because it is not only about APR. We have to compete consistently.”

The victory provides a much-needed boost to APR’s campaign in a competitive Group A. The Rwandan champions will next face Angolan giants Interclube de Luanda as they look to build on their recovery and strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stages.