Poland booked their main-round ticket at Germany/Netherlands 2025 in tougher fashion than expected, edging Tunisia 29:26 after a tense, hard-fought encounter.

GROUP F
Poland vs Tunisia 29:26 (13:13)

Poland knew a win would seal progression to the main round, but their start was far from convincing. They struggled on both ends of the court, and Tunisia faced similar issues. Fans in Maaspoort Arena had to wait four minutes for the first goal, scored by Tunisia, before Monika Kobylińska finally replied on a fast break a minute later.

The slow rhythm and low efficiency continued as both sides opted for aggressive defending, producing a modest 3:2 score after ten minutes. Boosted by three saves from Roa Mkadem, Tunisia pushed ahead to 6:3, a three-goal lead that seemed to energise them and fuel their belief against the European side.

Poland needed time to settle, but once they did and levelled at 8:8, the momentum shifted. From that point on, they increasingly relied on fast breaks to create their advantage, producing a four-goal run and taking control in ’s‑Hertogenbosch to move 12:9 ahead with five minutes left in the half. Tunisia, however, were not done – they rallied once more and managed to level the score on the buzzer.

Both teams remained locked together for more than ten minutes after the break, trading leads and refusing to let the other pull away. In the later stages, Poland inched in front, but none of their advantages lasted long. Tunisia again used their momentum to claw back from 21:24 to 23:24 as the match entered its final seven minutes.

The fight did not stop until the closing moments. In the end, Poland rose in the decisive phase: first Katarzyna Cygan scored, and after a Tunisian turnover, Natalia Pankowska made it 28:25 in the 58th minute, effectively sealing the outcome.

Poland’s celebrations were briefly disrupted by a direct red card for Pankowska moments later. Tunisia’s disappointment was evident, but their strong performance showed they can still believe in reaching the main round, most likely through a decisive duel with China.

Poland secured their main-round berth thanks to a strong showing from Magda Balsam, who scored seven, and Karolina Kochaniak, who added six. hummel Player of the Match Sondes Hachana Ep Kerkeni led a fighting Tunisian side with eight goals.

“We are happy that we won, but we expected a different game and that we would play better. Still, it happened and it is good that, even though we didn’t play well, we won,” said Monika Kobylińska.

“It’s a bit hard, but we did our best against them. It is good how we played and now we focus on China – we know we must win that game, we have no other option,” explained Sondes Hachana Ep Kerkeni.

hummel Player of the Match: Sondes Hachana Ep Kerkeni (Tunisia)