African Handball Confederation introduces Olympic qualifying tournament for Los Angeles 2028

The African Handball Confederation has announced plans for a new men’s tournament to determine Africa’s qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The competition will be held for the first time in the continent’s history and will be separate from the African Championship.

The decision was revealed during the confederation’s meeting in Luanda, Angola, held alongside the African Club Championship for men and women. The new tournament will be introduced from 2028 and will be dedicated specifically to men’s Olympic qualification.

A four-team field will compete for an Olympic place. It will consist of the host nation, the African champions and the two highest-ranked teams in the African Nations Cup.

The change means the continental title and Olympic qualification will be decided through separate competitions and on different schedules.

“From 2028, the African Men’s Championship (senior category) will continue to determine the teams qualifying for the World Championship, but it will no longer provide direct qualification for the Olympic Games,” the African Handball Confederation said in a statement.

“Qualification for the Olympics will instead be decided through this new tournament created for that purpose.”

Egypt won the 2026 African Nations Cup after beating Tunisia in the final. The victory moved Egypt level with Tunisia as the most successful team in the competition’s history, with both nations having won 10 titles.

Egypt have qualified for the Olympic Games eight times. Their best finish came at Tokyo 2020, where they placed fourth.