After the first day at the 10th IHF Men's Youth World Championship ended with 16 exciting matches and hundreds of goals scored, the second day brings eight new top clashes in Koprivnica and Opatija while Groups A, B, E and F are having a rest day.

Unbeaten Egypt will face the lucky Czechia, while Spain and the Faroe Islands seek to extend their winning streak. Germany and Argentina are also eyeing two more points to open the main round doors for them. The Islamic Republic of Iran are running on the confidence they gained, and nine sides seek redemption after a disappointing opener at Croatia 2023. 

Group C

• 13:30 CEST Czechia vs Egypt

The all-European duel will bring the clash of two unbeaten teams at Croatia 2023. Czechia took a win against Iceland on the first day of the competition and, in a way, made a surprise after a well-balanced game. The debutants now have good impetus in efforts to secure the main round spot.

Egypt are eager to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors who claimed the throne in 2019. Their strong offensive outing and fast pace were crucial against Japan, but they could not show their defensive skills.

The Czechs were led by centre back David Flajsar, who scored six times and 14 saves from the goalkeeper Pavel Dufek. They will try to go head-to-head with Mohamed Elsayed, Ziad Hashad and Youssef Ahmed, who were the leading trio for the Egyptian side. While Egypt's main force were breakthroughs and strong 6-metre shots, Czechia relies on a strong backcourt line.

"We need to learn to win matches repeatedly and perform well and that is our next goal in the competition. Now, we need to recover well because nothing easy awaits us against Egypt. I think we've proven that we can compete with anyone," said Czech head coach Jiří Hynek for the handball.cz.

• 15:30 CEST Iceland vs Japan

Without a rest day, the second day in Josip Samardžija-Bepo Hall in Koprivnica will also see two teams with a hard day behind them in action. Iceland never finished worse than 10th at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship and if they don't want to write down new nightmare placing, they need to get back on track.

Icelandic strong backcourt line with Kjartan Þór Júlíusson and Reynir Þór Stefánsson unfortunately didn't showcase their full potential during their recent match against Czechia. To improve their game, they need to open up more to get to the easy goals. However, their next opponents, the Japanese team, are known for their spirited and fast-paced plays, making it a challenging match for Iceland.

Japan scored most of their goals through their wings and fast breaks. Kotaro Tachibana, the left wing player, scored eight goals, while Soi Hasegawa, the right wing player, scored seven goals out of the 32 goals Japan scored against Egypt.

After finishing on somewhat disappointing fourth place at the 2022 AHF Asian Men's Youth Handball Championship, Japan want to prove themselves against strong teams.

Group D

• 17:30 CEST Bahrain vs Spain

Bahrain have been challenged in recent years. After finishing 17th at the 2019 IHF Men's Youth World Championship and snatching the last ticket for Croatia 2023 with a win over Kuwait, Bahrain made a good start to the competition.

On the first day in Koprivnica, they beat their fellow Asian friends, the Republic of Korea. Knowing they lost to the same opponent 22:39 at the 2022 AHF Men's Youth Handball Championship in August shows the fighting spirit of the team.

Spain, on the other hand, were struggling against Brazil in the first half, but they managed to find their rhythm and secure an easy win. The only European side in the group have their eye on the main round and maximum points and will be a hard nut to crack for Bahrain.

The Spaniards are a true powerhouse, coming as the M18 EHF EURO 2022 champions. The right back Djordje Cikuša Jeličić was part of the All-star team, and while he and his brother, Petar, are the key players for Spain, Victor Romero Holguín and Alberto Delgado Molina were the leaders in the first game against Brazil. Left back Jaffar Farsan will try to overcome the Spanish defence and continue on the same path after netting nine times against Korea.

• 19:30 CEST Republic of Korea vs Brazil

Brazil suffered an initial defeat against the stronger team of Spain, but they are now aiming to secure their first win at Croatia 2023. This victory could bring them closer to their objective of reaching the main round.

The connection between left back Mikael Lopes Candido and centre back Lucas Gabriel Vieira Da Silva was impeccable as the duo scored seven goals each, making sure Spain will not have it easy. They will seek to extend their good performance against the side with a tougher defeat against a well-known opponent.

The Asian champions fought hard against Bahrain at the start of Croatia 2023 but their low effort in attack, resulting in only 55% of converted shots, saw them disappointed. The goalkeepers Subin Kang and Hyeonmin Kim were the ones keeping Korea somewhat in the game.

 

 

Group G

• 13:00 CEST United States of America vs Germany

The bronze medallist from the M18 EHF EURO 2022 set an example at the start of the world championship in Opatija, leaving Saudi Arabia without a chance. Boosted by the success of the junior national team, Germany dream of making the same step, especially after the generation finished second at the 2019 IHF Men's Youth World Championship.

In the upcoming match, Germany will face off against the United States of America, who are making their debut. To continue on the same path, Germany need to utilise their strong defensive capabilities and maintain a consistent and effective offensive strategy. THW Kiel's Ben Connar Battermann and left wing Marvin Siemer were the most efficient players in the first game.

"We're the favourites against the USA, but every game is about the attitude. We have to go all-in in every game if we want to win," said German head coach Emir Kurtagić for handball.net.

The United States of America are back at the flagship competition after 20 years of absence, and despite losing to Argentina 21:33, they were giving their best. The lack of experience was visible, but the USA team can make progress throughout Croatia 2023, which they also showed in other generations.

The third team from the 2022 North America and Caribbean Men's Youth Handball Championship mostly relies on the players who already had an opportunity to play at Germany/Greece 2023, like Maksim McCauley, Nepomuk Grabner and Benjamin Edwards, all scoring at least three times at the opener in Opatija.

• 15:00 CEST Argentina vs Saudi Arabia

Argentina are coming into the match after a well-deserved win against the United States of America, and they are eager to extend their winning streak and secure a main round berth. The reigning South and Central American Men's Youth Handball champions wish to improve their placement in recent years.

They will have to stop courageous Saudi Arabia, who fought hard and well against Germany at their second appearance at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship. Argentinian main stronghold can be a defence with Santino Diotallevi between the posts, who made a good effort. With powerful back shooters, they should not have it hard against Saudi Arabia.

If the Asian side wants to have a chance of winning and have a glimpse of hope for better group placement, they need to improve their defensive skills, especially returning to the defence and not losing one-on-one duels. 

Group H

• 17:30 CEST Burundi vs Sweden

Sweden, the runners-up of the EHF EURO 2022, had a surprising start to the 10th IHF Men's Youth World Championship. Despite leading for most of the game, they ended up with a tie against the Islamic Republic of Iran, leaving the team disappointed.

The Scandinavian side are the favourites against Burundi. To redeem themselves, they need a strong performance with a big goal outing to regain their confidence in the next phase. Centre back Axel Månsson proved his role as the key player, being a top scorer with seven goals against Iran.

They will have no problem in stopping Burundi's attack, whose peak was at 40% of shot efficiency. The debutants of the competition and one of the most inexperienced team's only stronghold was Alex Benjamin Ingabire. The goalkeeper had 22 saves at a 29% save efficiency – but from 75 attempts.

• 19:00 CEST Faroe Islands vs Islamic Republic of Iran

The true power of the debutant Faroe Islands is yet to be seen. The European side opened the IHF Men's Youth World Championship with the second-highest win at Croatia 2023 – 53:21 against Burundi. Having their hands on the win already after the first 30 minutes, the Faroe Islands gave a chance to all 16 players in the squad, saving energy and tactical ideas for the upcoming match.

Faroese side will have their first real test against the Islamic Republic of Iran, author of the surprise in Opatija. They hope the goalkeeping duo Aleksandar Lacok and Leivur Joensen will hold their backs against very good back shooters from Iran. Being regarded as one of the country's key players left back Óli Mittún lived up to the expectations netting 11 times on the first day.

Despite not being a favourite side in the group, the runners-up from the 2022 AHF Men's Youth Handball Championship never backed down against much stronger Sweden. After 13 years of absence from the big stage, Iran's players were determined to show they belong here and played to the last breath.

When you combine Amirhossein Karami's intelligent plays and strong goals and Amirabbas Zareei's on-point saves, you get the team who is ready to fight with anyone. Faroe Islands will not have it easy at the end of the second day in Marino Cvetkovic Hall in Opatija.

Photos: Croatia 2023/Kolektiff images