Guillaume Gille and his French side started their Egypt 2021 campaign in sensational form, defeating 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship runners-up Norway 28:24 in the second game at the Dr Hassan Moustafa Hall in Giza.

Group A: Norway vs France 24:28 (13:13)

The clear highlight of the second day of Egypt 2021 saw the two European heavyweights do battle in a pulsating game but one in which ‘Les Bleus’ proved many wrong, defeating the strongly-fancied Norwegians by four – but it could have been more after they led by six (26:20) with just six minutes remaining before letting the Scandinavians back in.

While handball superstar Sander Sagosen did his best to keep his Norwegian side in it, scoring nearly half of the total goals – with 10 – and on the other side Kentin Mahe, with nine, did his best, the star of the show was French goalkeeper Wesley Pardin, making his world championship debut and ending with an incredible 18 saves and 45% ratio, later gladly claiming the best player of the match award.

“To see him at the highest level – the world championship – is really satisfying for me,” said Mahe about Pardin to ihf.info after the game. “He’s going to stay at this level and help and I’m really proud and happy for him that he won this award.”

Mahe himself later talked about the “fire” he has seen in the French side and how key it will be going forward if they are to progress, but he lit his own flame early on, scoring four times in six minutes (4:1) to set France on their way.

But you can never forget that Sagosen is a magician and will always find the way to the net and his seven goals brought the teams into the break all-square (13:13).

Norway coach Christian Berge later admitted the game slipped away after the third quarter and it was during this period that France went 21:18 up, with Hugo Descat, on his world championship debut as well, scoring his third goal into an unguarded Norwegian net after pulling out their goalkeeper in attack. A look at the bench saw a livid Berge on the sidelines, and he immediately called a time out, but France, thanks to the brick wall of Pardin, stayed strong.

“I didn’t think we played a good game today,” said Berge. “We had difficulties almost during the whole game, we had to fight a lot for our goals, and we were tired near the end. We can do better.”

hummel player of the match: Wesley Pardin, France