With the favourites taking wins in the first two games of Group F in the New Capital Sports Hall, there is already a sense of the teams which hold the biggest chances to advance to the main round.

However, at the IHF Men’s World Championship everything can happen and, therefore, Portugal will need to focus against Morocco, while Iceland are eyeing their first points in the group against Algeria.

Morocco vs Portugal 19:00 CAT

Portugal can secure their main round berth provided they do not lose against Morocco, but Paulo Pereira’s side will be looking to build on their 25:23 win against Iceland on Thursday.

On the other hand, anything but a win for Morocco could mean the African side are eliminated if Iceland beat Algeria.

A flamboyant coach on the sidelines, Pereira preached caution and full motivation before the game against the spirited Moroccan side.

“Our next opponent has a totally different style than what we are used to, so we must pay attention and win the game in the same convincing manner we did against Iceland,” said Pereira.

Portugal are keen to add to their win against Iceland, with their objective set to sweep their opponents in Group F to kick-start their main round group with four points.

Motivation will be key in this game and the Moroccan side will have plenty of that to erase the devastating 23:24 defeat against Algeria on Thursday.

Coach Noureddine Bouhadioui could be seen wiping his tears in devastation after his side boasted a seven-goal lead at the break, only for his team to collapse entirely in the last ten minutes.

It could have been a wake-up call for the side, who saw three players sent off during their first game at Egypt 2021 and signal a change in their usual aggressive approach in defence.

Portugal won the only game between the two sides in the preliminary round at France 2001 (30:26) but the difference between them looks even bigger on paper now.

Algeria vs Iceland 21:30 CAT

Losing against Portugal could have been a devastating blow for Iceland’s hopes at the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship, but there will be no time to dwell on that loss for Gudmundur Gudmundsson’s team.

Tougher games are coming for the Icelandic side, as they are facing a must-win game against Algeria on Saturday in the New Capital Sports Hall.

Losing the second game in a row might not mean elimination for Iceland, but it will probably mean that they would start the main round with zero points, provided they advance to the next round.

However, Algeria have yet to win against Iceland in a competitive game, losing four times, most recently at Qatar 2015 (24:32) and drawing one game (27:27) at Japan 1997.

Both sides will need to take better care of the ball, as Algeria had 15 turnovers in the first game, while Iceland lost possession 14 times due to simple mistakes that might have cost them the victory.

Experience will be key in this clash, though, and Iceland provide plenty of that, with stars like right back Alexander Petersson or left wing Bjarki Mar Elisson leading the way.

With a last-gasp win against Morocco on Thursday, Algeria can proceed to the next round provided they win, but the question is if they can avoid those missed chances that plagued them throughout the first game of the tournament.

Photo: Egypt 2021