Argentina snatched a dramatic win at the buzzer to close Germany/Netherlands 2025 on a high, as Giuliana Gavilan struck at the final second to seal a 30:29 thriller against Tunisia in Rotterdam.

Main Round, Group III
Tunisia vs Argentina 29:30 (10:17)

Argentina started strongly, jumping to a 4:0 lead and making Tunisia struggle on both ends of the court. Tunisia did not produce a single shot toward goal for the first six minutes, and by the time they broke through, the gap was already too big. Argentina never surrendered control for the rest of the half.

Left back Elke Karsten was an unsolvable mystery for Tunisia, leading the charge with five goals in the first 14 minutes—half of Argentina’s tally at that point. The South Americans cruised at 63% attack efficiency, while Tunisia sat on just 28%, though they managed to trim the gap from 3:12 to 6:12.

Tunisia’s play picked up in the final stretch of the half, creating several opportunities to close in further, but Valentina Meucci made crucial saves. She finished the first half with a strong 40% save efficiency, keeping Argentina firmly in command with a seven-goal advantage at the break.

After the restart, Tunisia surged with new energy, cutting the gap to five and making it clear Argentina couldn’t relax. With Fadwa Aouij leading the charge, Tunisia narrowed it further to 16:20 with 20 minutes left.

Momentum shifted fully moments later. Tunisia rattled Argentina with a strong push, coming within one (20:21) in the 43rd minute as Sondes Hachana Ep Kerkeni scored her fifth. Argentina survived that wave for only a short while before cracking under the pressure.

Tunisia levelled in the 49th minute and moments later completed the turnaround with a 3:0 run for their first lead of the match, 26:24, and suddenly the race to the finish was wide open. Huge credit went to goalkeepers Roa Mkadem and Roua Bouida, who stopped three of four penalties and kept Tunisia’s momentum alive.

But Argentina weren’t done. They drew level again, setting up a tense, chaotic finish. Tunisia tried to get an advantage with an extra attacking player, but Argentina had the last word, finishing with a buzzer-beater for a dramatic 30:29 win, courtesy of Giuliana Gavilan.

Argentina closed their Germany/Netherlands 2025 run on a high, earning their first main round victory and leapfrogging Tunisia on the standings for no lower than a 20th-place finish. Tunisia, who mounted a huge comeback but couldn’t hold it, could finish 22nd, still an improvement from 27th at the previous edition.

hummel Player of the Match: Sondes Hachana Ep Kerkeni (Tunisia)