In their first continental appearance at the U20 Men’s African Handball Championship, Madagascar was unable to compete with Angola, falling 17-49 at the final whistle.
The young Malagasy players were dominated in all areas and quickly fell behind by a significant margin. By halftime, the scoreboard already showed 25-8 in favor of the Angolans, followed by an equally difficult second half for the Malagasy side.
This heavy defeat places Madagascar at the bottom of Group B, behind Angola, Nigeria, and Algeria. With zero points and a goal difference of -32, the Malagasy selection must react quickly to avoid compromising their chances in the group stage.
The challenge was certainly significant. Madagascar shares its group with three nations accustomed to African competitions: Angola, Algeria, and Nigeria. The tournament brings together sixteen teams in Abidjan, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. A response is expected in the next outing, as Madagascar faces Algeria this Sunday, September 6, with an obligation to show a much better performance.
For the young Akio, the goal will now be to learn from this difficult start, regain confidence, and above all, reduce the errors that allowed Angola to run away with the score.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-07 06:39:07 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/handball-championnat-dafrique-u20.html