After seven days which saw 80 matches played at the 2024 IHF Women's Junior World Championship, the business end of the competition will see the quarter-finals played in the Boris Trajkovski and Jane Sandanski Sport Centers. Four 100% European quarter-finals will decide the semi-finalists, as Iceland, Portugal and Switzerland look to secure their maiden semi-finals spots.

However, the matches will be difficult, as all three sides look to start as underdogs against more established and succesful teams in the past. 12 other Placement Matches are scheduled for Thursday, as North Macedonia 2024 resumes after a one-day break, the first rest day in the competition.

QUARTER-FINALS

18:00 CEST Netherlands vs Sweden 

The two sides have faced off two years ago, at Slovenia 2022, in the bronze medal match, where the Dutch side their maiden medal, with a 31:20 clear win. From that team, the Dutch side has two players returning, goalkeeper Bianca Schanssema and left wing Lois van Vliet, who have both been immense at North Macedonia 2024.

The Netherlands have started the competition with five wins in five matches, including two in the main round, 31:29 against Switzerland and 20:17 against Egypt, which propelled Ricardo Clarijs’ side to the first place in Group I. On the other hand, Sweden conceded a 22:28 loss against France in the last match of the main round, and finished third in Group III.

Both sides have been strong defensively, with the Netherlands conceding only 101 goals, the third lowest number so far, while Sweden have the sixth-lower number of conceded goals, 111, as, on average the Dutch side conceded two goals less.

The two teams also measure quite balanced from an attacking point of view, with Sweden scoring 152 goals, as opposed to the Netherlands’ 146 goals. However, Sweden might come with key players more rested, as goalkeeper Stina Littorin and top scorer Emma Mihailovic, plus influential line player Stina Wiksfors, have not featured extensively in the loss against France.

18:00 CEST Hungary vs Iceland

Hungary have been touted as the favourites to win the title at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, building up their form from the W19 EHF EURO 2023, where they totally dominated their opponents, clinching big wins against other powerhouses.

They continued their amazing run of form with another flawless display at North Macedonia 2024, winning five out of five, with their lowest margin of win being five goals, against Norway in the main round, 31:26.

But now, Hungary might start feeling the pressure, as the room for mistake is slim, especially being the team every opponent targets to eliminate. The first will be Iceland, which have made it to the quarter-finals of the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship for the first time in history, securing their best finish in their appearances in the competition.

Iceland have finished second in Group IV of the main round, after a 25:26 loss against Portugal in the last match, where they came close of upsetting their European opponent, but ultimately failed to do so. But Iceland have the best goalkeeping saving percentage, 40.7% in the competition, therefore Hungary need to be patient and carefully select their shots.

This might not be a problem for the reigning European champions, which have scored the largest number of goals so far, 187, with 37.4 goals per match, nearly 40 more than Iceland, which rank 13th so far, with 149 goals, or an average of 29.8 goals per match.

20:30 CEST France vs Switzerland

France have also been one of the most consistent teams at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, despite being drawn in the toughest group, having faced four European sides – Serbia, Spain, Germany and Sweden – in their first five matches, but still boasting a 100% winning percentage.

Coach Eric Baradat has done a stellar job in distributing minutes to all the players available for France, which have scored 159 goals, the seventh largest number in the competition so far, conceding the fourth lowest number of goals, 108, despite having one of the toughest schedules possible until the quarter-finals.

Switzerland will be the underdog in this match, after conceding a 29:31 loss in the last match of the main round, against the Netherlands, but they still made it to the knockout phase for the second time in history and for the second time in a row, which is a huge performance for the European side.

Nevertheless, France are aiming for their first semi-finals berth since 2012, when they finished second, and are still in the hunt for the title, which has evaded them until now, with only one medal – the silver in 2012 – sealed by France so far.

20:30 CEST Portugal vs Denmark

Portugal are in the quarter-finals of the IHF Women’s Junior World Champiosnhip for the second time, after finishing sixth in 1997. However, this generation has plenty of potential, having finished fourth at the W19 EHF EURO 2023, with several experienced players at this level shining so far.

On the other hand, Denmark are the runners-up at the W19 EHF EURO 2023 and at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, with this generation already proving its worth at North Macedonia 2024. But they will be entering the quarter-final against Portugal with question marks over their head, after the 23:31 loss against Hungary.

Portugal are unbeaten so far at North Macedonia 2024, having won four and draw another match, but between the unbeaten sides their credentials can be checked, with a 33:31 win over Montenegro, a 26:25 win over Iceland and a 28:28 draw against North Macedonia creating an impression of a team which ebbs and flows.

Portugal have two players between the top 15 scorers of the competition, Constança Sequeira (33 goals) and Luciana Rebelo (27 goals), with fellow back Carmen Figueiredo also bringing some experience in the senior team for this Portugal side, which can qualify for the first time in history in the top-4 sides at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship.

PLACEMENT MATCHES 9-12

13:15 CEST Romania vs Germany

Germany finished third in the main round Group III after winning against the People's Republic of China 38:25 in the last round. It is a consolation prize for Germany after their narrow losses against France in the group phase (27:29) and Sweden (25:26) in the main round, missing out on the quarter-finals due to their difficult schedule.

This is the second time in their  last 11 appearances that Germany will finish lower han seventh place but still aim to end on a high. They rely on their effective attack, currently eight in the competition, scoring 31.60 goals per game on average. And the offensive performance comes from the team play. Compared, their opponents Romania, are on 28.60 but can be proud of some better defensive numbers.

Romania also hoped to get to the quarter-finals, especially after taking the bronze medal at the W19 EHF EURO 2023. However, defeats against the Netherlands and Switzerland threw them out. Yet Romania still have a chance to finish between 9th and 12th place, which is an improvement from 2022 when they ended 18th.

They secured the place in the upper placement matches with a convincing win over Egypt (32:23) with centre back Alisia Lorena Boiciuc being their top scorer once again, bringing her tally up to 25 at North Macedonia 2024.

 

 

 

 

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15:30 CEST Norway vs Montenegro

Ninth place, fifth place, silver medal, winners. That is the timeline of the Norwegian junior team since 2014. It is no wonder they had high hopes and were earmarked as one of the competition's favourites. After losing the top-of-the-group duel against Denmark by eight goals, they had similar attack problems against Hungary, losing their spot in the quarter-finals.

The Scandinavian side redeemed themselves against the Republic of Korea and showed their attacking power as left back Nora Rosenberg netted eight times out of as many attempts. They will put to the real test again as they are clashing with the second-best attack of the competition.

Montenegro scored 175 times in five matches played, bringing their average to 35. Montenegro's power lies in the right back of WHC Budućnost Jelena Vukčević who convincingly leads the competition's top scorer list with 53 goals. Second-placed Bernardeth Belo from Angola scored 37.

However, Vukčević's excellent displays were not enough to win against Portugal or Iceland, crucial games for the quarter-finals. Having finished 10th at the last IHF Women's Junior World Handball Championship, Montenegro will have a good reason to win against Norway and try to secure a battle for the same range.

PLACEMENT MATCHES 13-16

13:30 CEST Egypt vs People’s Republic of China

Egypt are on a three-game losing streak and are looking to end it and secure a better finish at North Macedonia 2024. Their main issue has been the attack, as scoring only 113 goals in five games put them in 26th place on the goals scored list.

Still, Egypt have a shot to have their best finish in the world flagship competition after 15th place at Slovenia 2022. With China's fast pace, Egyot will continue to on their goalkeeper Gihad Wael Sayed who saved 44 times already with 35.7% save efficiency.

The People’s Republic of China are always a tricky side to play against. Their determination and fighting spirit with speed can produce trouble. They had outplayed another African side, Algeria 33:9, but saw double-digit losses against Sweden (24:38) and France (15:42).

The last time these two sides met was at the 2016 IHF Women's Junior World Handball Championship and China secured a convincing 34:21 win.

 

 

 

 

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15:45 CEST Republic of Korea vs North Macedonia

Hosts North Macedonia have already secured their second-best placement in the competition, after finishing eighth in 2003. They finished second in group H after the loss against Iceland but drew with Portugal (28:28) and in a crucial match lost the Balkan derby against Montenegro.

North Macedonia's main engine is Iva Mladenovska with 28 goals scored while Korea's right wing Seoyeon Cha is only one goal behind has a fantastic 73% scoring efficiency. One thing both sides need to sort things out is turning the ball over and have more concentration in the attack. However, it is the Republic of Korea who conceded too many turnovers in this competition, 83, or 16.6 per game.

North Macedonia's chance relies on their aggressive defence and good goalkeeping duo with 38.6% save efficiency with Matea Churlinovska being the first name with 40.3%. Korea lost all three games at North Macedonia 2024 against European teams and only managed to beat Argentina. Hosts hope to keep it that way.

PRESIDENT’S CUP
Placement Matches 17-20
09:30 CEST Japan vs Angola

Japan started the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship with big losses against Denmark and Norway, but they improved their results afterwards. Three straight wins against Chinese Taipei, Mexico and Argentina allowed them to finish top of the President’s Cup Group II and therefore stay in fight for the consolation trophy.

African champions Angola also claimed the maximum of points in the President’s Cup Group IV, defeating the United States of America, Uzbekistan and Guinea. The match against Guinea made Angola’s players sweat, but Bernadeth Carla Belo converted a free throw in the last second to secure their win.

Belo has played an individually successful tournament so far, and with a tally of 37 goals, the left back is the second-best scorer at North Macedonia 2024 behind Montenegro’s Jelena Vukcevic. And if she gets enough support from her teammates, Angola will have a chance to beat Japan and reach the final of the consolation tournament. 

10:30 CEST Brazil vs Spain

At Slovenia 2022, Brazil finished 22nd, but now they are certain to secure a higher position after three straight victories in the tournament. The South American side proved too strong for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chile and Tunisia, which allowed them to stay in contention for the President’s Cup.

Spain were frustrated not to reach the main round, as they lost to fellow European teams Germany and France at the opening stage of the tournament. But then the Spanish team defeated Algeria 44:14, and a 29:29 draw in an entertaining game against Chechia allowed them to win the President’s Cup Group III and go to the Placement Matches 17-20.

In their last appearance at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, which was at Hungary 2018, Spain actually finished 17th, and now they have a chance to win the President’s Cup again - but they have to end the tournament with two wins to reach that goal. 

Placement Matches 21-24
14:30 CEST Tunisia vs Serbia

Tunisia opened the President’s Cup with a win over the Islamic Republic of Iran, 26:23, but two days later, they came up short against Brazil, losing 24:26 and taking the second place in Group I.

Serbia also became runners-up in Group II, and it was quite a good result for the team which had suffered three big defeats in the competitive Group F at the previous competition stage. The Europeans improved a lot in the President’s Cup, beating Czechia 29:26 and Algeria 27:16.

These wins have certainly boosted Serbia’s confidence, and the Balkan side will try to extend their winning run on Thursday. In turn, Tunisia are eager to avoid their lowest-ever ranking at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, which is currently the 23rd place at Czechia 2012. 

09:00 CEST Argentina vs Guinea

Two years ago, Argentina finished 25th at Slovenia 2022, but now they are certain to rank higher, and the South Americans have a chance to climb to the 21st position with two victories in two remaining encounters at North Macedonia 2024.

Argentina might have done even better, but they lost a chance to stay in contention for the President’s Cup on Tuesday, losing against Japan in a close fight, 33:35. On the same day, Guinea also battled hard in an African derby against the continental champions Angola, but were defeated 22:23 despite leading 11:8 at the break.

In their debut IHF Women’s Junior World Championship two years ago, Guinea finished 23rd, but now they will be certain to rank higher if they beat Argentina - and the Africans are determined to win this match. 

Placement Matches 25-28
19:30 CEST Chinese Taipei vs Uzbekistan

After conceding three big losses at the group stage, the Chinese Taipei improved their performance in the President’s Cup. The Asians put a big pressure on Argentina, despite ultimately losing by two goals (25:27), and then registered their first win at the tournament in style, beating Mexico 44:16.

On the same day, Uzbekistan ended their four-match losing run in a similar fashion, defeating the United States of America 42:25. Sevinch Erkabaeva and Sabina Mullaeva had the biggest impact in attack in that game, scoring nine goals each.

With a tally of 34 goals, left back Erkabaeva takes the third position in the scoring chart of the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, therefore the Chinese Taipei will need to hold her back in order to get a positive result on Thursday. 

11:15 CEST Islamic Republic of Iran vs Czechia

Similar to the Chinese Taipei, fellow Asian side Islamic Republic of Iran improved their game in the President’s Cup, as they fought hard against Tunisia, losing 23:26, and then opened their account at North Macedonia 2024 with a hard-fought 27:25 win over Chile.

Centre back Fatemeh Merikh rose to prominence, netting 20 times in these two matches and also setting up a number of goals. With a tally of 33 goals, she is now the joint fourth-best scorer of the tournament, so Czechia should keep an eye on her.

The Czechs looked clearly uninspired after missing out on a main round spot, but in their most recent match, 11 goals from Simona Schreibmeierova helped them to share spoils with Spain (29:29). Czechia are now certain to have the lowest ranking among the European teams at North Macedonia 2024, but they hope to end the tournament on a high, winning both remaining matches. 

Placement Matches 29-32
12:00 CEST Mexico vs United States of America

Both sides are yet to claim their first win at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, as they suffered five defeats in row. But one of them is certain to finish this losing streak in their mutual encounter.

Mexico have struggled both in defence and attack throughout the tournament, scoring 74 goals (14,8 on average) and conceding 219 (43,8 on average). The United States of America have a better defence, having conceded 156 goals (31,2 on average), but their attacking efficiency leaves much to be desired, with just 83 goals scored (16,6 on average).

Two years ago at Slovenia 2022, Mexico and the United States of America met in the Placement Match 31-32, and the USA won in a hard-fought match, 28:26. Now both sides hope to take a higher position, so they will do their best to win on Thursday. 

17:00 CEST Chile vs Algeria

Chile showed some signs of improvement in their most recent match against the Islamic Republic of Iran, as their goalkeepers Paula Craig Ortiz and Isabela Gore combined for 15 saves. However, the South American side conceded their fifth consecutive defeat, 25:27, proceeding to the Placement Matches 29-32.

At Slovenia 2022, the Chilean team finished 27th, and while the South Americans are now certain to take a lower overall position, they are determined to claim victories in the two remaining matches. But Algeria, who are playing at this level after a 16-year break, also hope to end the competition on a high.

So far, the Africans have the least effective attack in the entire tournament, scoring 69 goals in five games, which is just 13,8 goals on average. Algeria failed to score more than 17 goals in any single encounter at North Macedonia 2024, and they obviously need to improve their shot efficiency if they want to beat Chile.