Key highlights of the day: Egypt 2021 to end on high with Denmark-Sweden clash
31 Jan. 2021
More than two weeks of handball, 100 exciting games, 5,689 goals and only two teams left in the race for the title. The highly anticipated final of the 27th IHF Menâs World Championship is scheduled for today in the Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, with Denmark and Sweden facing off for the trophy.
The 100 per cent Scandinavian match will feature two of the most efficient teams in the World Championship, as Sweden (74 per cent shot efficiency) and Denmark (72 per cent shot efficiency) will battle it out for the gold medal at Egypt 2021. Even though Denmark are the current title holders, Sweden won the competition 22 years ago, when Egypt hosted it for the first time, and the current squad are highly motivated to emulate the âBengan Boysââ feat and bring the fifth World Championship title home.
Sweden, however, will have their hands full with an all-time great team, as Denmark were last defeated at the IHF Menâs World Championship four years ago and built a superb 18-game winning streak in the past two editions of the event. Find out what records are due to be broken in the final by Denmark here.Â
There will be no complacency for the Swedish side, though, as all players will be very motivated to win their first-ever international title with the Scandinavian side. âUntil I puke or die,â says defensive specialist Fredric Pettersson about his motivation against Denmark.Â
21-year-old right back Mathias Gidsel looks to be the next big thing for Denmark, as he scored 38 goals in the first eight games at the IHF Menâs World Championship, having more starts in the World Championship than he had goals in the national team prior to the throw off at Egypt 2021. You can find out his thoughts before the first final in his career here.Â
Three hours before the throw off for the big final, Spain and France will face off with the bronze medal in sight. It will be a small consolation for the winning team, but they can finish off the event on a high, after staying unbeaten until the semi-finals against Denmark and Sweden.Â
You can watch some highlights of the previous games between Denmark and Sweden at the IHF Menâs World Championship and more other exclusive clips on our Facebook page.Â
Handball fans will have seen players throughout Egypt 2021 pick up the âhummel Player of the Match Karma Awardâ for all 100 games played to date. HAND â âHandball for A New Destinyâ is IHF Official Partner hummelâs corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. At the 2021 IHF Menâs World Championship in Egypt, every single award winner is having shoes donated in their name and you can find out more about this programme here.Â
With the event drawing to an end, you can discover more about the best players in our new dashboard, which features the best of the best, but also every important statistics at the 27th IHF Menâs World Championship.Â
Do not forget to set your alarm and watch your favourite teams on TV and follow all the updates of the IHF regarding the IHF menâs flagship event.
Stay tuned for more insightful features, previews and interviews, as Egypt 2021 reaches its climax on Sunday.
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