Tunisia managed to beat the People’s Republic of China with a stronger second half, winning 34:28 and claiming the last main round spot available at the 2025 IHF Women's World Championship.

Group F
Tunisia vs People’s Republic of China 34:28 (17:18)

Tunisia started the match strongly, opening with a 4:1 lead. Powered by right back Amal Hamrouni and goalkeeper Roa Mkadem, it seemed Tunisia had control, but China refused to back down. With Chang Lu stepping between the posts instead of Sitong Huang, China capitalized on several Tunisian mistakes and leveled the score at 6:6 by the 11th minute.

The teams remained closely matched for the next 15 minutes, with Tunisia holding a narrow advantage. In the 25th minute, Tunisia finally extended their lead to three goals. China tried to change the flow by switching to a 5–1 defense, which partially worked in the closing minutes of the half. From a three-goal deficit, China reduced the gap through Xuedan Liu and Xintong Jiang, bringing the score to 17:18 at halftime.

The second half saw little change. Both teams relied on long attacks, averaging 32 seconds, and tough, shifting defensive formations. Tunisia’s key advantage was in goalkeeping: hummel Player of the Match Roa Mkadem maintained an efficiency above 33%, while China’s goalkeeping sat below 20%. As a result, Tunisia were still up by three at the 45th minute (25:22).

China’s struggles continued as they went eight minutes without scoring, while Tunisia extended their lead to 29:23. China attempted to respond, but their more aggressive defensive approach often led to two-minute suspensions, giving Tunisia additional opportunities to maintain their advantage.

Tunisia’s biggest lead was seven goals, but Fengying Pan narrowed it slightly in the final moments for a 28:34 final score. Right back Amal Hamrouni led the charge with seven goals for Tunisia, while another six players scored at least twice in this important win. Yuting Liu and Xuedan Liu combined for 13 goals and were China’s top scorers.

For Tunisia, this marks progress compared to the 2023 edition. Last time, they competed in the President’s Cup and finished 27th. Now, with a main round place secured, they cannot finish worse than 24th. China, meanwhile, continue their President’s Cup path.

hummel Player of the Match: Roa Mkadem (Tunisia)