Serbia and France secured a top-10 finish at the 2025 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, after wins against Czechia and Switzerland respectively in the Placement Matches 9-12.

Avoiding a last-place finish were Guinea and Morocco, which won their first matches after six tries at Egypt 2025, sending the USA and Mexico to the Placement Match 31/32.

Placement Matches 9-12
Serbia vs Czechia 35:29 (17:13)

A last-gasp goal from Iceland to take the win against Spain saw Serbia out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, but the European side was determined to secure a top-10 finish and that meant winning the match against Czechia.

That would see Serbia secure their best finish in 12 years at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, but Czechia looked stronger in the first part of the match, when a 4:0 unanswered run saw them take an 8:5 lead.

Serbia soon bounced back and rode a fantastic outing from centre back Djordje Draško, who had nine goals and six assists in the end, and line player Andrija Stankov, who combined for 14 of their team’s 23 goals until the 40th minute, wrestling back the lead from their opponents.

With a 17:13 lead at the break which turned into a 23:18 lead after 41 minutes, Serbia were looking strong and Czechia, also disappointed by the fact that they missed out on a place in the quarter-finals after a comeback against Denmark, had little to offer, especially in defence, as Stankov and Draško each scored nine goals, lifting Serbia to a 35:29 win and securing a spot in the Placement Match 9/10, where they face France.

Player of the Match: Tomáš Vomáčka (Czechia)

Switzerland vs France 28:37 (16:21)

France, despite missing out on a quarter-final berth, remain determined to finish the tournament strongly, and their victory over Switzerland has secured them a top-10 placing. The Swiss will now conclude Egypt 2025 in the Placement Match 11–12.  

The French side took control early, opening leads of 3:1 and 5:3, though Switzerland worked hard to stay in the contest. Mathis Barelle proved decisive in the first half, scoring eight of his eventual 10 goals before the break, as France used a 5:2 run to move ahead 10:6 by the 13th minute. The Swiss improved and managed to cut the deficit to one goal at 15:16, but France’s 78% shooting efficiency before the interval reflected their dominance. A closing 5:1 run stretched their advantage to 21:16 at half-time.  

Switzerland fought back again in the second half, closing to within three at 22:25 by the 41st minute after scoring three goals in a row. However, France responded decisively. Goalkeeper Timothé Riss produced a string of saves to spark a 5:0 run, and an eight-goal cushion at 30:22 midway through the period put them firmly in control.  

Although Niclas Mierzwa delivered an excellent individual performance with 10 goals, Switzerland could not match France collectively, and the outcome was decided well before the final buzzer. The French ran out comfortable nine-goal winners, with centre back Alexandre Baradat — who tallied six goals and five assists — earning the Player of the Match award.  

Player of the Match: Alexandre Baradat (France)  
 

Placement Matches 13–16
Austria vs Slovenia 31:37 (18:21)

Slovenia ended their three-match winless run with a decisive victory over Austria. After finishing 15th in the last two editions of the World Championship, they now have a chance to compete for 13th place. Austria, meanwhile, have slumped to three consecutive defeats but will aim to finish their campaign on a positive note in the Placement Match 15–16.

The individual brilliance of Slovenia’s leaders proved decisive. Player of the Match Mai Marguč scored 14 goals, while Aljuš Anžič added eight, combining for 22 of Slovenia’s 37 goals. Goalkeeper Matevž Mlakar also shone, recording 15 saves for a 33% save rate.

Austria’s Julian Wieder opened the scoring, but his side’s early lead lasted only a few moments. At 7:7 in the 10th minute, the game was still level, before Slovenia seized the momentum with a 4:0 run. Marguč and Anžič were lethal in the first half, netting 10 and six goals respectively. Austria, spearheaded by Wieder and Emanuel Tikvić, tried to stay in contention, but despite scoring 18 first-half goals, they managed only a 56% shooting efficiency. A three-goal deficit at the interval still left them with hope.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Slovenia keeping control and Austria chasing. In the 38th minute, Sandra Zapletal’s team cut the gap to 24:25, but Mlakar’s saves helped Slovenia respond with another 4:0 run, during which Austria went scoreless for seven minutes. Tikvić, who finished as Austria’s top scorer with seven goals, reignited their hopes by closing the gap to 29:32 with nine minutes remaining. However, Slovenia’s final 4:1 surge sealed a convincing win. 

Player of the Match: Mai Marguč (Slovenia)

Saudi Arabia vs Japan 25:27 (11:14)

The Asian derby between Saudi Arabia and Japan proved to be a fascinating one, despite the two sides only playing for a chance at a better finish at Egypt 2025, with the outcome being decided only late in the match.

On paper, Japan, the Asian champions, were the favourites, but Saudi Arabia really provided some of their best handball in the competition, despite the loss in the end, using a 4:0 unanswered run early in the match to open up a 6:2 lead.

Japan quickly bounced back and their top scorer, Koki Ishikara, started becoming more and more important, as well as centre back Masato Ohashi, who scored five goals and had two assists.

Ohashi and Chikaya Ishihara then combined for four goals in a 5:0 stint for Japan, which saw them take the lead close to the break, 14:11, and it seemed like the Saudi side had no answer to what Japan brought to the table.

But then, Saudi started the second half better, with a 6:1 run fueled by Abdullah Almarhoon, Abdullah Alsadoon and Ahmed Alobaidi, who had 19 goals between them at the end of the match, to wrestle back the lead from their opponents, 20:19.

A 4:1 run for Japan, doubled by another 3:0 one close to the end of the match finally broke the balance of the match, as Saudi Arabia scored only one goal in the last eight minutes and 20 seconds, seeing the Asian champions secure a 27:25 win.

Japan now face Slovenia in the Placement Match 13/14, while Saudi Arabia can finish 15th provided they beat Austria on Friday.

Player of the Match: Koki Ishikara (Japan)

Placement Matches 25-28
Algeria vs Republic of Korea 28:32 (10:15)

After claiming their first win of the tournament on Tuesday against the United States of America, the Republic of Korea added another victory, keeping alive their hopes of matching their 25th-place finish from Croatia 2023. Algeria, meanwhile, fell to their fifth defeat in six games and will contest the 27th-place match tomorrow.  

A strong Korean defence, combined with key saves from goalkeeper Ohjun Kwon, limited Algeria to just one goal in the opening 13 minutes, helping the Asians build a 4:1 lead. Although Algeria responded after a timeout to draw level, the Republic of Korea quickly found an extra gear, using a 3:0 run to restore their advantage at 7:4. Fast breaks and cohesive team play extended the margin to 13:8, and with Kwon solid in goal and Eunho Kim contributing four goals before the break, Korea led 15:10 at half-time.  

Algeria aimed to rally in the second half, but Korea maintained control, capitalising on turnovers and punishing mistakes. Yeongu Choi was instrumental, both scoring and creating chances, as Korea pushed their lead to 22:14 within 10 minutes of the restart. They repeatedly held a nine-goal advantage — their largest of the match — before Algeria narrowed the deficit late on.  

Choi finished as Korea’s top scorer with seven goals, while Kwon was named Player of the Match after making 16 saves at a 37% save rate.  

Player of the Match: Ohjun Kwon (Republic of Korea) 

Kuwait vs Uruguay 35:25 (18:13)

Kuwait were in control for most of the match, as apart from a brief 2:1 lead for Uruguay, the South Americans were never really close to keeping pace. Uruguay managed to keep the contest relatively tight for the opening 15 minutes, but a 5:0 Kuwait run, inspired by Yosef Madwah and Hasan Boland, opened up a seven-goal cushion and signalled the turning point.

Interestingly, by that stage Kuwait’s goalkeepers had made just a single save, yet Uruguay were unable to capitalise, lacking the attacking sharpness to threaten a comeback. The Asian side went into half-time with a comfortable 18:13 lead, which they carried confidently through the rest of the match.

Uruguay raised their defensive intensity after the break, frequently switching to a 5–1 formation to try to disrupt Kuwait’s rhythm. However, their attack could not match that same level of intensity, and the gap remained steady. Failing to score in the final five minutes proved decisive, as Kuwait closed out the match with a double-digit victory.

For Uruguay, making their debut at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, the result means they will contest the Placement Match 27. Kuwait, whose only previous appearance was in 2009 when they finished 19th, will now play for 25th place.

Player of the Match: Hasan Boland (Kuwait) 

Placement Matches 29–32
Guinea vs United States of America 32:25 (15:14)

Guinea claimed a historic victory — their first ever at a World Championship — ending a five-game losing streak in their debut tournament. The win puts them in contention for 29th place, while the USA remain winless at Egypt 2025 but will aim to finish on a high in the Placement Match 31–32.

Pokpa Loua was Guinea’s attacking spearhead with eight goals. He was well supported by Moustapha Bangoura (seven goals) and Malick Diallo (six goals). Guinea’s superior 65% shooting efficiency, compared to the USA’s 52%, was a key factor in their triumph.

The early stages were evenly matched, with the score locked at 4:4 after 10 minutes. A burst from the USA, fuelled by two Nathaniel Long goals, gave them a 4:1 run, but Guinea quickly hit back with a 3:0 sequence, levelling at 11:11 with five minutes left in the first half. The sides traded goals before Bangoura struck with 43 seconds remaining to give Guinea a 15:14 lead at the break.

The second half began as a tight contest before Guinea broke away between the 40th and 45th minutes with a decisive 4:0 run, moving ahead 25:20. The USA’s task became even harder when Vincent Bager was shown a red card, and Guinea pushed their advantage to 28:21 with eight minutes to go. From there, they controlled proceedings to seal a well-deserved win.

Player of the Match: Abdelrahman Awad (United States of America)

Morocco vs Mexico 36:29 (20:13)

Morocco finally celebrated their first win at Egypt 2025, beating the inexperienced Mexico in comfortable fashion. Mexico stayed in contention only during the opening five minutes, but from then on it was one-way traffic.  

At 2:2, Morocco launched a four-goal run to take a 6:2 lead by the 10th minute. Mexico tried to find a way back, managing to keep the gap to four goals for almost 20 minutes, but that was as close as they came. Morocco then went on another series of scoring runs and, backed by a solid defensive display, took a 20:13 lead into half-time.  

The pattern continued in the second half, even though Mexico showed plenty of passion and forced Morocco into errors. The difference came between the posts: all three Moroccan goalkeepers contributed, with Mohamed Billal (35% save efficiency), Mohamed Lakrim (46%), and Jalil El Moudar (47%) combining for 21 saves in total. With such a strong presence in goal, Mexico simply could not keep up, despite Player of the Match Ruben Villa Duarte netting eight goals.  

Morocco will now face Guinea on the final day of the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship in the 29th-place match — still their worst finish in four appearances. Mexico, meanwhile, will aim for their first victory when they meet their regional rivals, the United States of America, to avoid finishing last.  

Player of the Match: Ruben Villa Duarte (Mexico)