Eight seconds left. The prospect of the first three-match losing streak at the Olympics since Atlanta 1996 on the line. Over 5.700 fans in the stands and millions at home cheering for a goal. And then, finally, a reason to smile. France threw everything in the last attack of the match against Egypt and salvaged a point when Ludovic Fabregas scored against Mohamed Aly, as the buzzer went off.

For France, a team which has never finished lower than the sixth place at the Olympic Games, won three Olympic titles and five medals in total in the competition, this point might seem like nothing. But for the players, it meant everything. It meant staying alive in the competition, it meant a reason to celebrate, it meant a reason for optimism.

“No, no, no, please, let’s again. Be positive,” said Nedim Remili when he was asked if the match against Egypt brought another difficult challenge for the hosts and the reigning Olympic champions. 

“It was really important for us, it's a really positive thing today. Of course, we didn't play our best game once again, but the most important thing is the energey we put in the game, the vibes, the mood of our team. We use also the energy from our fans and today that pushed us through. This is what's the most important for us right now. So far, the most important thing is to believe in ourselves, earning points also because we want to go through quarter-finals and that's it,” added France’s centre back, after the 26:26 draw against Egypt.

France continue to be in a precarious position in the men’s handball competition at Paris 2024. They are fifth in Group B’s standings, with a single point, five points behind leaders Norway and Denmark. However, they will be facing Hungary and Argentina, the teams ranked fourth and sixth, in the last two matches.

To put things into context, France have scored 77 goals in three match so far. That’s 15 less than Hungary. 16 less than Germany. 12 less than Norway. They’ve conceded 90 goals in three matches, that’s 30 goals per match and only Japan and Argentina conceded more.

The numbers do not lie and France have never started an edition of the Olympics without a win in three matches and with a single point in the standings, battling for a quarter-finals berth. But that late Fabregas goal might be exactly what the hosts need to bounce back.

“The most important is to win the games, to push ourselves, to bring back the confidence and everything is going to be fine for us. We know how to deal with this moment. We talked together. We spoke a lot actually. We put on the table everything was wrong and okay, now we knew that,” adds Remili.

Those behind-the-scenes meetings are not always known, but they are a thing in French sport. The women’s handball team had one at Tokyo 2020, which involved some tears shed. The men’s volleyball team also did that at the last Olympics and went on to win the title.

“There was no crying, but just the release of energy. We talked about how the mood was bad. How we were in the vicious circle. You know, everything was wrong. Everything was bad. Everyone was sad. Everybody was angry. How we can manage to release all this pressure, release all those bad vibes, and get back to what we do the best, playing handball, playing with joy, playing with energy, playing with intensity. And somehow it works. It really works,” adds Remili.

Now France have to really show that they bounced back and improved. Matches against Hungary and Argentina – the last two in Group B for the reigning Olympic and European champions – are must-win matches. Anything other than that and France will worsen their position.

But what if they secure their ticket to the quarter-finals and go to Lille, where a sold-out Stade Pierre Mauroy will cheer for them?

“If we qualify, it will be another tournament. It is not a preliminary round match. If you lose, you are out. So it's another tournament and now the focus is on qualifying for the quarter-finals. We don't care if it's third or fourth place, we just want to go to Lille and then I'm pretty sure it will be different for us,” says Dika Mem.

Remili agrees.

“Of course, it will be a different tournament. We will be a different team also, if we get there. I think it was a long preparation for all of the teams here. And you can see that everyone can beat everyone right now. It is so crazy in the other group,” says the centre back.

And if France really get over the line and progress to the next phase of the competition?

“The most important is quarter-final, definitely. Losing a quarter-final is a mess. We spoke about that with [Nikola] Karabatic. He will tell you Athens 2004 was a mess for them. But we know that if we go through the quarter-final, then we get all our chances to have a medal at the end. This is the most important thing for us,” concludes Remili.

Of course, that is a big ask. France need to improve and take their points somewhere. And then finally provide a good performance. Not only because the expectations are huge, but this just might be the most balanced edition of the men’s handball competition at the Olympic Games.