The first semi-final at the 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship will be a rematch of the Group B clash that saw Egypt clinch first on the table with a 37:32 win over France. Can Egypt repeat their feat and reach their first Junior World Championship final since 1993, or will France return to the trophy match for the second time since 2015?  

SEMI-FINAL
Egypt vs France
Pavillon Municipal de Deportes de Pontevedra, 18:00 local time

When France won their first Junior World Championship title in Brazil in 2015, it was Egypt they defeated in the semi-final on the path to the podium. Egypt went on to rank fourth after losing the bronze-medal match to Germany in overtime. 

Before Spain 2019, this generation of France players had lost just two matches at major international championships. They won their first title at the U18 EHF EURO 2016, then raised the trophy at the 2017 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship – where Egypt placed 14th. At the U20 EHF EURO 2018, France ranked second after being defeated in the final versus Slovenia. 

However, France had a serious wake-up call in the preliminary round in Spain. With losses to Sweden and Egypt in the final two preliminary matches, France finished third in their group – an entirely unfamiliar situation. In the eighth-final, France knocked out hosts Spain with a goal from Noah Gaudin in the last seconds, before a clearer victory over Denmark in the quarter-final on Thursday night. 

In contrast, Egypt arrive in the quarter-final with a clean record of only victories. They topped Group B with the maximum points, won against Serbia in the eighth-final and then defeated Norway in a thrilling quarter-final. 

Considering their five-goal victory in a one-sided game versus France in the preliminary round, Egypt would seem to have an upper hand – but rematches do not always end in the same way as the games they reprise. 

France have a stronger medal record at the Junior World Championship, counting the title in 2015 along with three bronze medals, in 2017, 2013 and 1997. Egypt raised the trophy once, in 1993 at home, and placed third in 1999. This year, they seem to have a strong chance of reclaiming the trophy after a 26-year wait.

Both sides count on exceptional individual quality within their squads, though Egypt’s statistics show more of a spread of responsibility in attack. The fact that Egypt can afford such rotation with hardly a drop in quality is a factor in their favour, and coach Tarek Sayed Elsayed has used his team’s strengths perfectly with his tactics.