Germany have clinched the title in the inaugural edition of the 1st IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, with a dramatic 44:43 win against Egypt, after overtime.

FINAL
Germany vs Egypt 44:43 a.e.t. (18:17; 37:37; 41:40)

Germany or Egypt? Which team was going to be the winner of the inaugural edition of the IHF Men’s Under-17 World Championship? It was always going to be a nip-and-tuck match, a nip-and-tuck final, probably decided by the smallest of details.

And indeed it was. Both sides had a four-match winning streak, but Germany were leading in all statistical categories before the match and, at least on paper, it looked like they had the better depth.

However, Egypt had heart and soul and a fiery passion to play the game. And that was confirmed in the first 30 minutes, with Germany never opening a lead higher than two goals, despite coach Jochen Beppler continuously tinkering with his line-up, to find solutions to provide a breach in Egypt’s defence.

Backs Lenn Strobel, Kalle Gaugisch, Julius Pöthke and Leo Nowak were Germany’s top scorers, combining for 15 of Germany’s 18 goals, but were constantly trying to find new ways to create goals. However, Egypt always adapted. And on the attacking side of the ball, they were as good, if not even better than Germany.

The European side’s goalkeepers, Kim Hüter and Tobias Dengler, had only two saves between them in the first half, boasting a meagre 9% saving efficiency. While Egypt did not struggle in attack, right back Youssef Ahmad, who also played at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, scoring 22 goals in eight matches, led by example.

Ahmad scored six goals from eight shots in the first half, while Moaaz Ibrahim and Zein Ismail added four goals each, but Germany were still ahead, 18:17, at the break, after Gaugisch scored a buzzer-beater to end the first half on a high for his team.

However, Egypt did not back down. Despite being down throughout the first half, they were always calm and collected, clearly in control. And they started the second half with a fantastic run, 4:1, which put them ahead by four goals, 25:21.

And herein lied the question: would it be enough for Germany to crumble because of the pressure? The answer came pretty fast, as Julius Pöthke and Leo Nowak bounced back and provided the fuel for a much-needed comeback, a 4:0 run in less than four minutes, to tie the score, 27:27.

From that moment on, it was always going to be about which team had the best nerves. It looked like it was going to be Egypt, which had the lead until the dying seconds, but once again, the brave Gaugisch took responsibility and scored at the buzzer, to push the match into extra-time, with the final score in the regular time being 37:37.

Germany were carried by Nowak and Pöthke, who had 22 goals between them after the first overtime period, but Egypt also had a strong arm in Youssef Ahmed, who had 12 goals himself, after cutting Germany’s lead to a single goal, 41:40, with a free throw buzzer-beater, setting up another fiery five minutes.

And Germany eventually were the better side, taking a 44:43 win, as Nowak showed some dazzling skills, scoring the last three goals of the match, taking his overall tally to 15 goals, with Egypt never leading or tying the score in overtime, despite doing whatever they could to clinch the title.

This win helps Germany do the double on African soil, after they previously beat Spain in the final of the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, in Egypt, also on penalties.