Four teams secured their maiden wins at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, getting a head start in the President’s Cup, where they start their groups with two points.

Croatia, Kosovo, Bahrain and Argentina sealed their maiden wins on Saturday, with the clearest coming from Argentina against Mexico, while Bahrain dished a 36:33 win against the Republic of Korea, in an all-Asian derby.

Group B
Morocco vs Kosovo 22:32 (10:12)

Both teams already knew they would continue in the President's Cup, but with placement points at stake, victory remained the clear objective. This was evident from the opening minutes, with neither side giving an inch — and it took until the fourth minute for the first goal to arrive.  

The match remained tightly contested early on, with goalkeepers Olt Kabashi and Jalil El Mouadar producing strong saves to keep the score low. Kosovo were the first to edge ahead by three, capitalising on fast breaks and holding their advantage until the break, despite a few setbacks along the way.  

The true gap in quality and approach emerged in the second half. Kosovo showed composure and determination, remaining unfazed even after the injury to Amar Muqolli. Instead, they pushed harder, with Suad Pajaziti and Olsi Mulaj leading the offence, scoring eight and six goals respectively. For Morocco, only Idriss El Hammoumi consistently posed a threat during their brief moments of hope.  

Entering the final ten minutes with a commanding 28:18 lead, Kosovo managed the game with maturity, maintaining a double-digit advantage until the final whistle. Morocco were left disappointed, particularly by their second-half performance.  

Kosovo celebrated their first-ever win at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship, securing two valuable points for the President's Cup. Morocco, meanwhile, will need to regroup and work harder to climb the placement standings.  

Player of the Match: Suad Pajaziti (Kosovo) 

GROUP C  
Croatia vs Algeria 35:29 (19:12)  

After two disappointing defeats to fellow European sides Serbia and Spain, Croatia were already out of contention for the main round, but they finally secured their first win at Egypt 2025 with a solid performance against Algeria. Both teams will now move on to the President’s Cup, but Croatia will start the placement matches with two points.  

Algeria, who have now suffered three straight defeats, held the lead only once in the entire match, courtesy of an early strike from Mohammed Kadem in the opening minute. To their credit, the African side showed resilience in the first quarter, keeping the score level at 7:7 in the 14th minute.  

From there, Croatia began to take control. Two goals from Filip Jakov Begić sparked a 3:0 run over the next five minutes, while goalkeeper Antun Sarić’s eight first-half saves helped secure a seven-goal advantage at the break, 19:12.  

Midway through the second half, Croatia maintained their cushion at 27:20 despite rotating their squad. A further 3:0 run stretched the gap to double figures at 32:22, prompting an Algerian timeout. Although Algeria responded to narrow the margin to six by the final whistle, the result was never in doubt.  

All 14 of Croatia’s outfield players found the back of the net, with Begić leading the way with seven goals and earning Player of the Match honours. While Selim Berrou (nine) and Ziad Besra (eight) outscored any individual Croatian, the European side’s balanced team effort proved decisive in clinching this long-awaited victory.  

Player of the Match: Filip Jakov Begić (Croatia)

Group F
Argentina vs Mexico 37:16 (19:10)

Mexico endured a slow start, allowing Argentina to storm ahead 5:1. However, once they found a way through the 3-3 defensive set-up, they responded well, narrowing the gap to just one goal (5:6) within five minutes.  

That surge prompted an Argentina time-out, which had an immediate impact. A sharper defensive display forced Mexico into errors, and a seven-goal unanswered run propelled the South Americans to a 13:5 advantage by the 17th minute. The difference proved decisive. With 15 turnovers by half-time, Mexico’s chances of recovery were slim.  

The second half brought no relief for Mexico, as the same issues persisted — rushed shots, sloppy passing, and difficulty coping with Argentina's relentless pace. By the 50th minute, they trailed by 15 goals, with Argentina’s depth allowing them to rotate freely without losing intensity.  

Juan Jeremias Bus Saldana was a constant threat in attack, spearheading counterattacks that Mexico struggled to contain. Behind him, Argentina’s defence stayed compact and disciplined, forcing a total of 33 turnovers and limiting their opponents to just four goals in the last 20 minutes.  

Argentina marked their first victory at Egypt 2025, taking two crucial points into the President’s Cup and boosting their confidence ahead of the placement matches. Mexico will start the next stage determined to earn at least one win.  

Player of the Match: Juan Jeremias Bus Saldana (Argentina) 

Group G
Republic of Korea vs Bahrain 33:36 (13:16)

One year ago, at the 2024 AHF Asian Men's Youth Handball Championship, Bahrain and the Republic of Korea faced off in the preliminary round and the latter secured a 29:26 win, enhancing their chances for a medal, which turned out to be a silver.

Bahrain just qualified for the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, finishing fifth in the event, but they were eyeing to avenge that loss at Egypt 2025, where both teams were heading to the President’s Cup.

But a win here would see the team securing it start with two points in the next phase of the competition, therefore both Bahrain and the Republic of Korea tried their best in order to secure their maiden win at the 2025 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

That team turned out to be Bahrain, which started the match better and provided more clarity and efficiency in attack, starting with a 3:0 run, which set the tone for what was about to come.

The Republic of Korea attempted a comeback, through Juhyeon Kang and Taeryeol Heo, who combined for 13 goals throughout the match, but neither their attacking prowess, nor Korea’s defensive aggressiveness proved to be gamechangers.

At the break, Korea were down three goals, 13:16, with Bahrain’s right wing Salman Alshowaikh and left back Mohamed Aadam running the show. In fact, multiple 3:1 runs by Bahrain, fuelled by the same players, helped open a six-goal lead for the Gulf side, 32:26, with 10 minutes to go in the match.

The Republic of Korea retorted to the last card, which meant a man-to-man coverage throughout the court, but that could not prevent a loss, with Bahrain just leaking some goals, but eventually sealing a 36:33 win.

That means that Bahrain will start the President’s Cup group with two points, while the Republic of Korea must find new resources in order to finally secure their maiden win at Egypt 2025.

Player of the Match: Salman Alshowaikh (Bahrain)