Historic win for Guinea, as Kuwait and Bahrain finish off with wins

Kuwait, Bahrain and Guinea finished their campaign at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship with wins, as the three sides improved their finishing positions in the first three matches of the President’s Cup in Porec.

PLACEMENT MATCH 27/28
Kuwait vs Japan 37:32 (17:16)

Japan, runners-up at the 2024 AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship, were down five goals in the first half, going back to their old habits of turning the ball over throughout the first half, after clinching two wins on the trot in the previous two matches.

But with larger depth – nine players scoring at least one goal – they managed to claw back and cut the gap to a single goal, 17:16, at the break, giving themselves a chance to finish the competition on a high, against a plucky Kuwait side, which has been impressive in the President’s Cup so far.

Yet Kuwait bounced back and Saif Aldawani, their top scorer in the competition, which has finished the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship with 47 goals, after adding eight more goals against Japan, was the key player for his side which dominated Japan in the second half.

Kuwait had a fantastic second half in terms of attacking output, putting 20  goals past Japan, to clinch the 37:32 win and secure the 27th place, which certainly improves the prospects of the Asian side.

On the other hand, Japan finished 28th, as the young side missed their chances and could only clinch two wins in seven matches.

hummel Player of the Match: Saif Aldawani (Kuwait)

PLACEMENT MATCH 29/30
Algeria vs Bahrain 26:29 (18:17)

Bahrain ended the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship with a hard-fought win against Algeria, 29:26, after leading for most of the second half, thanks to an excellent outing from Mohamed Mohamed, the centre back who scored nine goals.

Algeria lost key right back Ayyoub Abdi early in the match, due to an ankle injury, and could not maintain their momentum, as they turned the ball over and had a 55% shooting efficiency, but they still held their ground.

At one point in the first half, the African team had a two-goal lead, 18:16, but their goalkeeping department made half the number of saves recorded by the hummel Player of the Match, Hesham Isa, 16, this being the key difference between the two sides.

As Bahrain took a three-goal lead in the 40th minute, 23:20, it proved to be decisive, with Algeria slowing down the tempo in the second part, but not enough to deter Bahrain, which eventually secured their second win in the competition, 29:26, with a younger side, suffering a big makeover.

The Asian side finished 29th, while Algeria improved by a single place from their previous performance, when they finished 30th at Poland/Sweden 2023.

hummel Player of the Match: Hesham Isa (Bahrain)

PLACEMENT MATCH 31/32
Guinea vs Cuba 33:31 a.pen. (16:16; 28:28)

The first appearance at the IHF Men’s World Championship for Guinea ended with the African players celebrating after clinching the 31st place in the final standings, with a 33:31 win, after penalties, against Cuba.

Both teams lost their previous six matches and they did not win this one either, with a cat-and-mouse match ensuing, where Guinea and Cuba were tied at half-time, 16:16, and after the regular 60 minutes, 28:28, with neither a 5:0 run for Cuba, nor a 4:0 run for Guinea in the second half being able to break the deadlock.

While the hummel Player of the match, Cuba goalkeeper,  Adan Armando Calzado Martinez, saved 10 shots for a 45% saving efficiency and left wing Hanser Rodriguez added 10 goals, they were unable to make the difference.

And at penalties, both Rodriguez and Frank Enrique Cordies Castillo missed their shots, the first two, enabling Guinea, which scored all the five they had, to celebrate the win, 33:31, and avoid finishing on the last place, where Cuba landed for the first time in history.

hummel Player of the Match: Adan Armando Calzado Martinez (Cuba)