Another main round spot for Norway as Kazakhstan have one last chance

Olympic and European champions Norway defeated Kazakhstan as expected in Trier, securing their main round spot at Germany/Netherlands 2025, while the Asian bronze medallists have one last chance to make the second stage, should they beat Republic of Korea on Monday (1 December).

Group H
Kazakhstan vs Norway 16:41 (7:21)

Kazakhstan coach Aliaksandr Sytsko kept with the same squad which lost their opening group H game against Angola (38:20) on Thursday (27 November), while new Norway coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad made one change from his side which dispatched Korea (34:19), legendary goalkeeper Katrine Lunde rested, with his squad moving down from three to two goalkeepers, bringing line player Vilde Ingstad into his team.

Even the most fervent fans of Kazakhstan would not have expected anything from this encounter with one of the strongest nations in women’s handball ever to have played the game, but the opening exchanges, or even first half maybe did not go directly to script, or, at least as the Norwegians wanted.

Gjekstad stuck with the trio of Emilie Hovden, Stine Skogrand and Anniken Wollik in his starting seven, as Eli Marie Raasok filled the Lunde gap between the posts. The quartet was joined by Live Deila, Kristine Breistol and Selma Henriksen.

It was no surprise that Norway raced to a lead (5:2, 4th minute) early on, but what was a surprise was that the expected goal-fest did not come, more intermittently. By the time Sytsko took his first time out (9th minute) he side were six behind (9:3).

Adjustments were needed and Gjekstad took an early time out (17th, 12:5) subsequently going 10 up (15:5) soon after. Sytsko then used up his second time out straight after, just as he did in their opener against Angola.

But the pace slowed and in a seven-minute period (21st-28th minute) the European champions could only score once (17:5, 18:6).

The intent for the second half was clear for Norway: Henny Reistad and Nora Mork started their warm-ups on court during the break and, together, they helped put their side 20 ahead with the same amount of minutes remaining (29:9, 40th minute).

With the sold-out crowd of 3,153 inside the SWT Arena supporting the underdogs – despite the best efforts of a few Norwegian fans – the whole arena erupted into happiness when goalkeeper Damira Zhaparova, who had dreamt her whole life of meeting her idol Lunde, gathered a loose pass and shot full-court into the Norwegian unguarded net on a European 7v6 attack – right in the eyeline of Lunde, sitting in the stands and making notes on the goalkeeper position.

hummel Player of the Match: Emilie Hovden (Norway)