After the defeats in the quarter-finals of the World Handball Championship, the German nationwide group continues its placement video games. The first excessive hurdle is African champions Egypt.
Egyptian handball stars: Ali Zein, Ahmed El-Ahmar, Omar Yahia and Roberto García Parrondo (from left).
imago photos (3)
The first attention-grabbing parallel with the German group is instantly noticeable: Egypt additionally went to the World Handball Championship and dreamed of successful a medal. But after 5 wins in the first 5 video games, the Egyptians, like the DHB choice, have suffered two consecutive defeats, which suggests the quarter-finals.
The reigning African champions made folks sit up and listen, particularly the outcomes, of course, the doable group: the proud handball nation Croatia was eradicated at the starting of the match (31:22), Morocco (30:19) and the USA (35:16) additionally a straightforward solution to Egypt gave In the essential spherical, it was far more tough for the North Africans, and so they needed to face the groups of Belgium (33:28) and Bahrain (26:22).
Germany, like the nationwide group, certified for the quarterfinals after their fifth look at the World Cup. In the subsequent two video games in opposition to heavyweights Denmark (25:30) and Sweden (22:26) there have been important setbacks. Now it should be at the very least fifth place, which the DHB choice has additionally launched as a transparent new goal.
There could also be a bonus for the Egyptians: they are going to play the total World Cup solely in Sweden, the stress of journey is restricted to Jönköping (preliminary spherical), Malmö (essential spherical) and Stockholm (quarterfinals). The DHB group was allowed to play till the finish of the essential spherical in Kattowitz, Poland earlier than touring to Gdansk for the final eight. The subsequent flight continued to Stockholm on Thursday.
“What hurts you is the sport plan,” nationwide coach Alfred Gislason informed SID after the quarter-final loss in opposition to France: “It’s important to have a day or two of relaxation between video games. We nonetheless had a day of journey. cube, that is a giant issue. We didn’t put together correctly for the sport. It’s a disgrace to play the World Cup in two totally different nations like this.” In 2025, there will probably be three with Croatia, Norway and Denmark.
Gislason doesn’t have time to “shout”.
The Icelander doesn’t need to “shout” about it. His first purpose is clear: “We need to win in opposition to Egypt. We have to concentrate.” The DHB group is solely reminded by the proven fact that the 17-time World Cup contributors (16 instances in a row since 1993) have appeared on this match.
The final assembly up to now was a painful expertise for the German group: in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games held in Tokyo on August 3, 2021, Egypt gained with a rating of 31:26, however then misplaced to France in the semifinals (23:27) and in the match for bronze. The Spaniards (31:33).
Egypt, who gained the Africa Cup of Nations eight instances between 1991 and 2022, additionally has a coach: Roberto García Parrondo has been teaching Bundesliga aspect MT Melsungen with the nationwide group since September 2021. The former world-class proper winger (87 worldwide caps for Spain) has to consistently put together intensively for a big half of the German nationwide group in his each day routine.
The 2013 world champion is aware of all the water and is aware of how to achieve success: together with Talant Duyshebaev and Filip Jicha, he is solely the third participant in the historical past of handball to win the Champions League as a participant (2008, 2009 with Ciudad Real). coach gained (with Vardar Skopje in 2019).
The hole to the prime of the world is closing quick
All details about the World Handball Championship at handball.web
The DHB choice now has nothing to concern from Egypt’s report goalscorer Ahmed El-Ahmar (1,496 worldwide targets, 38, out of squad) who spent six months at Flensburg in 2015. But the change of era didn’t have an effect on the high quality – on the opposite.
With gamers like Ali Zein (Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2022), Yehia Elderaa (at Veszprém since the summer time) or Mohamed Shebib (additionally taking part in in CL in Bucharest) the hole to the prime of the world has narrowed rapidly. At the 2021 World Cup on residence soil, Egypt narrowly misplaced to eventual champions Denmark in the quarter-finals after a seven-meter throw.
However, the most important piece of the Egyptian puzzle is missing resulting from a knee damage: 1.95m proper wing Omar Yahia (at Veszprém since 2019) won’t be able to take part in the World Cup. But others broke by way of: prime scorers are backfield gamers Elderaa (27 targets), Mohsen Mahmoud (26) and Ali Zein (22). Germany’s finest pitcher Juri Knorr scored 42 match targets.
For DHB choice on Friday (3.30pm, LIVE! kicker) will probably be all about sustaining an unblemished report at World Cups up to now: All 4 matches have gone to the 2016 European champions, most lately the 2015 World Cup Round of 16 with 23 gamers. :16.