He was the top scorer of the 2012 Olympic Games with 50 goals, when his team won the silver medal in London. He scored the decisive penalty shot against Spain in the Olympic qualification tournament to go through to Rio 2016 and he is once more part of the team when they can qualify for Tokyo 2020 – right wing Niclas Ekberg from Sweden. 

Ekberg celebrated his debut for the Swedish national team in 2008 where he scored 12 goals in a match against Turkey. Up until now, he has put on the blue and yellow jersey 179 times, scoring 733 goals and is the most experienced player in the current squad. 

After Sweden won three Olympic silver medals in row from 1992 to 2000, they did not qualify for the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008. But when the Nordic side returned to the Olympic stage in London 2012, they celebrated another silver medal after a nerve-wrecking final against the Olympic champions France. 

Ekberg, who has played for the German club THW Kiel since 2012, did not only celebrate the silver medal in 2012 but was also part of the team that qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 after a dramatic final match against Spain in the qualification tournament. 

“Before the match we knew that we could lose the match with two, that possibly created a bit of a security in our heads.” 

With only a few seconds left on the clock and a three-goal lead for the Spaniards, Sweden got a penalty throw. In front of their home crowd in Malmö, Ekberg was the one to throw this decisive penalty that would decide whether or not Sweden would progress to the Olympic stage. 

“In those situations, the goalkeeper has the advantage because there is more pressure on the player. I had a good plan. I wanted to feint first to see how he reacts and then decided to throw on the left side,” said Ekberg on the mini documentary, that the Swedish national team published on their YouTube channel.

“I have really good memories about that game. It’s probably the best loss I ever had,” said Ekberg with a smile on his face to ihf.info. 

Today, Sweden and Ekberg will face a similar situation against Slovenia. With a draw or a victory (or loss and Germany loss), they will qualify for the Olympic Games. 

“I think our guys have played important games throughout their carriers, so I think most of them know what we’re up to.”

Slovenia is a well-known opponent for Sweden. During the qualification stage in 2016, the Swedish team also met Slovenia. Back then, right back Kim Andersson was the hero of the match who scored the 24:23 victory for the Nordic side and both teams qualified for the Olympic Games. 

However, that victory has been the last one for Sweden. At the Olympic Games in Rio, Slovenia took a 29:24 victory and at the EHF EURO 2020, they snatched two points from Sweden after a hard-fought match. At the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship in January this year, the match ended in a 28:28 tie with a last-gasp goal from Slovenia just before the final buzzer.

After not having played for almost two years for the Swedish national team, Ekberg is more than happy to be back on the squad. 

“It’s always an incredible honour to represent Sweden. It was really fantastic what the team did at the world championship and I was not surprised because the players play at a high level in their club teams,” said Ekberg ahead of his return to the team. 

“I hope that I will be able to contribute with a lot of routine and the qualities I am good at. I want to contribute with my game and want to continue on what has just started.”

He celebrated his comeback with a great performance against Montenegro in the EHF EURO 2022 qualification game, scoring eight goals. And while he scored just one goal against Germany, he once more showed his qualities from the seven-metre line against Algeria going for five goals out of five attempts. 

“For Slovenia, I think we just have to be mentally ready to play our third game in three days. That’s a big key,” said Ekberg prior to the decisive match. 

With a draw or a victory (or loss and Germany loss), Ekberg and Sweden will qualify for the third consecutive Olympic Games.

Photo: Marco Wolf/DHB