Three teams extended their winning streaks to three games and will start the main round with two points.
Reigning champions Egypt mounted a spirited comeback against Iceland to take a 33:30 win, as Czechia was the second team to progress from Group C. The African powerhouse will start the main round with two points after sweeping their opponents in a well-balanced group.
Germany sailed through to the main round, with their third win in as many games against Argentina (27:16), and lent a helping hand to Saudi Arabia, which progressed to the main round, thanks to their superior goal difference of +18 as opposed to Argentina’s +3, with the two teams tied on points.
Group E also concluded on Saturday, with Denmark’s win against Austria (43:28) a harder-than-expected one. Yet, the Scandinavian team will now start the main round with two points, as Austria will start will zero points.
In Group A, Algeria clinched their first win at Croatia 2023, dominating Rwanda (33:27) in an all-African derby and will start the President’s Cup with two points.
- Group A
Rwanda vs Algeria 27:33 (13:18)
Last summer, Rwanda delivered one of the biggest surprises in the history of the CAHB African Men’s Youth Championship, clinching the silver medal after surprising several powerhouses of the continent, including Algeria.
When the two teams drew 30:30 in the preliminary round, Rwanda had the better overall goal difference and they sailed through to the semi-finals, leaving Algeria emptyhanded. It was a game which Algeria did not forget and now it was time for them to deliver their answer at Croatia 2023.
Yet Rwanda still enjoyed a good start, taking an early lead and forcing Algeria to get meaningful stops on defence, especially trying to block the passes between the backs, which have been the main weapon for Rwanda at Croatia 2023.
However, the big difference between the two sides has been in the goalkeeping department, where Algeria’s Ali Achiche Sid slowly got into form, saving seven of the first 15 shots he faced in the first half for a 47% saving efficiency, while Rwanda’s Arsene Uwayezu recorded his first save after 21 minutes and 41 seconds.
Therefore, Algeria started to control the game, and a 6:2 run in the middle of the first half was crucial for their position in the game, with Youcef Atek and Abedelouahab Djemati combining for nine goals, half of their team’s 18 in the first 30 minutes.
With a five-goal lead at the break (18:13), Algeria were in the driver’s seat and duly took advantage of their position with a 5:0 run to start the second half, which created a 10-goal lead (23:13), which proved to be unassailable at the end. Rwanda could not deliver any comeback attempt, thanks to an excellent defence from their opponents and a monster game from goalkeeper Achiche, who was named the “hummel Player of the Match” with 21 saves and a 44% saving efficiency.
With their 33:27 win, Algeria will now start the President’s Cup with two points, while Rwanda, who still have the third leakiest defence in competition, conceding 137 goals in the preliminary round, start the next phase, where both teams meet Morocco and New Zealand, with zero points.
hummel Player of the Match: Ali Sid Achiche (Algeria)
- Group C
Egypt vs Iceland 33:30 (14:15)
Iceland’s disappointing 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship campaign continued as they lost 30:33 to Egypt in a must-win game.
After losing against Czechia in their opener and then beating Japan, a victory was needed for Iceland to step into the main round, but the three-goal loss means a President’s Cup (17-32 ranking) spot and with it, their lowest-ever rank in the competition.
For Egypt, their half-time time turnaround speaks volumes about the mentality and quality of Wael Aly’s young side and with their Messi-like centre back, Ziad Hashad, pulling the strings, they are a force to be reckoned with.
Tonight they showed their battling qualities in a physical encounter which ended in a coming together of teams briefly at the final buzzer and which had seen two direct red cards handed to Egypt, another red to Iceland (for three suspensions) plus coaching staff on both sides given two-minute warnings.
That should not detract from a fascinating contest though which Egypt could afford not to win, their aggressive, open 3-3 defence causing Iceland to make a number of mistakes in their ball handling, backed up by their goalkeeping pair of Youssef Ahmed and Youssef Salama who made 14 saves between them, Ahmed particularly making crucial ones.
Chinks in the armour were there for the event title-holders and African champions – not least with 15 turnovers in the game – just before the end of the first quarter they were five down (3:8) and in a crazy period in the second half they went from a 6:0 scoring run (21:16 – 33rd-38th minute) to conceding five in a row (39th-47th minute).
This saw the game tied up at 21:21, but Egypt stepped up and did enough to stay calm against an increasingly frantic Iceland side trying to get the win with players all over the court trying to snatch the ball.
The Egyptians march on and are warming up nicely in Croatia.
Source : ihf.info
