The French and Egyptians will face each other again just six months after their confrontation during the group stage of the Paris Olympic Games.
The French handball team reached Zagreb on Sunday, where Egypt awaits on Tuesday in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, which it approaches with confidence after two perfectly negotiated first gently sloping rounds. The Blues left Varazdin at midday for a short trip of around 90 kilometers towards the south and the Croatian capital, where their next opponent has taken up residence since the start of the competition.
The Egyptians, regular candidates for the final four of international competitions in recent years, as expected took second place in Group IV. But with much more difficulty than expected against modest Cape Verde (31-24). “It will be a physical match, it’s a team that defends hard, they are quite strong” Blues right-back Dika Mem had planned on Saturday evening.
“This is shaping up to be a dangerous quarter-final. But we’re charting our course, we’re not afraid of anyone and we’re ready to play every team.” Luka Karabatic, for his part, declared. THE “Pharaohs” trained by the Spaniard Juan Carlos Pastor, 2005 world champion at the head of the «Roja»and led by Paris Saint-Germain right-back Yahia Omar, are however deprived for this World Cup of Yahia Elderaa, the left-back or center-half of Veszprem (Hungary), injured.
And a question mark surrounds the presence of their other right-handed base player, Montpellier Ahmed Hesham, who did not participate in the main round due to a blow to his knee.
Reunion after the Olympics
French and Egyptians will meet again only six months after their confrontation during the group stage of the Olympic Games, and a draw (26-26) by the Blues thanks to a last-second goal from Ludovic Fabregas narrowly avoiding a third consecutive defeat. “It’s so far away for me” swept Nedim Remili on Saturday after the success against North Macedonia (32-25) at the end of the main round.
-Six months after the Olympic crash, the blue board is indeed much more presentable, in form and substance. The team led by Guillaume Gille won its six matches with ease (11.8 goals difference on average) and consistency, in defensive effort and in terms of offensive fluidity, even if it did not face any opponent of very prominent (Qatar, Kuwait, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands and North Macedonia).
“Don’t give anything easy, don’t concede anything easy, from the start that’s been a constant with us. We know that we have a big strike force in attack but that it is the defense which must secure us” explains Luka Karabatic, praising “investment, state of mind and combativeness” of the Blues.
“No one is exhausted”
The smooth course and the richness of the squad allowed Gille to distribute playing time, so that “no one can say they are exhausted, everyone is in a good rhythm” souligne Remili. “We just have to prove it now in the quarter-final” adds the center-half, who has regained his level after going through the Olympics.
He forms a new formidable left-handed duo on the back base with Dika Mem, in great shape only two months after having surgery on his right shoulder. On the right, Thibaud Briet gained weight in the relay of Elohim Prandi, who is still looking for his best sensations after also being injured in the shoulder (left) in November.
“In the game and the situations he plays, it’s better”underlines Gille about Prandi, “He needs to adjust his sights but it’s going in the right direction. It’s also a story of confidence, of getting used to the rhythm of an international match again. But I’m not worried about his next performances.”. The Parisian was the author of the decisive pass for Fabregas on the equalizing goal against Egypt at the Olympics. Six months later, the two selections will face each other this time in a decisive match.
