The African Handball Nations Championship is the official competition for senior national handball teams of Africa, and takes place every two years. In addition to crowning the African champions, the tournament also serves as a qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games and for World Handball Championship. Started in 1974, it is the oldest continental handball competition. The current champions are Egypt, who won the 2026 tournament in Rwanda.
Only three countries have won the tournament. Tunisia, winner of the first edition, has won the title a record ten times tied with Egypt (ten titles), and Algeria, with seven titles, are the only two other teams to have won the competition.
Both Morocco and Algeria were banned from hosting the African Handball Championship in 2022 and 2024, Egypt were chosen to host the tournaments instead.
Summaries YearHostFinalThird place matchChampionScoreRunner-upThird placeScoreFourth place1974DetailsTunisia1976DetailsAlgeria1979DetailsCongo21–1726–241981DetailsTunisia30–25–1983DetailsEgypt25–2429–241985DetailsAngola23–1723–201987DetailsMorocco22–1621–161989DetailsAlgeria18–1719–181991DetailsEgypt1992DetailsIvory Coast26–2428–161994DetailsTunisia18–16 (ET) – 1996DetailsBenin21–19 (ET)28–211998DetailsSouth Africa22–1735–262000DetailsAlgeria2002DetailsMorocco25–1935–252004DetailsEgypt31–2831–302006DetailsTunisia26–2126–252008DetailsAngola27–2523–202010DetailsEgypt24–2130–222012DetailsMorocco23–2029–152014DetailsAlgeria25–2131–242016DetailsEgypt21–1925–192018DetailsGabon26–2429–262020DetailsTunisia27–2232–272022DetailsEgypt37–2528–242024DetailsEgypt29–2135–282026DetailsRwanda37–2429–23
Egypt finished 2nd however it was disqualified. A round-robin tournament determined the final standings.
Medal table
Participating nations Legend
– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place
Q — Qualified for upcoming tournament — Qualified but withdrew — Did not qualify — Did not enter / Withdrew from the Championship — Disqualified / Banned — Hosts
Team 1974 1976 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 Years × 2nd 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 4th 5th 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 4th 6th 3rd 5th 2nd 4th26 9th 5th 5th 5th 5th 7th 8th 6th 3rd 4th 4th 5th 6th 4th 3rd 3rd 4th 8th 8th 5th20 9th 13th2 12th 1 2nd 3rd 5th 8th 7th 9th 5th 5th 9th 7th 10th 7th 5th 5th 9th 12th 12th 10th 10th19 5th 2nd 4th 3rd4 5th 1 4th 7th 2nd 3rd 4th 4th 7th 5th 6th 6th 5th 11th 10th 6th 8th 9th 7th 8th 7th 9th 13th 11th22 × × × × × × × × × 4th • • • 7th 8th 8th 11th 5th 4th 8th 10th 7th 8th 7th 7th 6th 14 8th 10th 2 • ×× 2nd 4th 4th 4th 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st25 × × × × × × × × × × × • • 6th 12th • 8th • 9th 11th 9th 11th 5th 8th 9th 11th 9th12 8th 1 8th 10th 6th 5th 8th5 6th 7th 2nd 6th 6th 6th 6th 5th 5th 6th 8th 7th 10th 7th 12th 10th 14th 17 9th 12th 15th × 15th 15th5 × × × × × × × × × × × • • • • 11th • • 11th • 12th 9th • 13th 12th 6 8th 5th 4th 7th 4th 4th 5th 4th 4th 6th 3rd 8th 6th 4th 6th 6th 4th 6th 3rd 7th 7th21 × × 8th 6th × 7th × × × × × 5th 4th • 7th • 10th 6th 7th • 11th 10th 10th 11th 10th 9th 6th16 14th 12th2 3rd 4th 9th 7th 6th 6th 9th 9th 7th 5th 8th WD 11th 12 10th 1 4th 5th 6th 7th 10th 5 1st 1st 1st 3rd 3rd 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd 4th 3rd 2nd27 16th1 16th 13th 16th 14th4Total 5 7 9 8 6 9 8 7 7 8 10 10 10 7 12 11 11 8 12 12 12 12 10 16 13 16 16
See also African Men's Junior Handball Championship African Men's Youth Handball Championship African Handball Champions League African Handball Cup Winners' Cup African Handball Super Cup
References
External links Official website Handball Africa Archive – todor66.com كأس الأمم الأفريقية لكرة اليد رجال – kooora.com