The 24th CAHB African Women’s Junior Championship throws-off later today (4 September) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Running until Sunday 10 September, all games will take place at the Polyvalente Sports Park in Abidjan with the competition featuring seven teams including current champions Angola (ANG), Egypt (EGY), Algeria (ALG), DR Congo (COD), Côte d'Ivoire (CIV), Mali (MLI) and Cape Verde (CPV).

The games start later today with Cape Verde taking on DR Congo in the opening match, followed by Mali playing Angola. After an opening ceremony, the late game (18:00hrs local time) will be between Côte d'Ivoire and Egypt. The competition is played on a round-robin basis with all teams playing each other and the team who finishes top of the group crowned champions.

After the junior tournament finishes, the 2017 CAHB African Women’s Youth Championship will take place at the same venue until September 17.

“Côte d'Ivoire have already demonstrated its qualities as an organising country and the Organising Committee set-up is well-prepared,” said Mansourou Aremou, President of the African Handball Confederation (CAHB) ahead of both tournaments.

“I am confident that they will organising fantastic tournaments and a good show is guaranteed with new talents being revealed in Abidjan.”

The CAHB African Women’s Junior Championship started back in 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria and has run on a two-year cycle since, except for a three-year gap between the 2006 and 2009 editions. 

Angola have won the competition a record eight times, and the last two editions, in 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya and 2013 in Oyo, Republic of the Congo.