After four straight defeats, Argentina were looking to bow out in style, and for a long time, it looked like they had a chance to win their last match in the tournament. But Egypt ultimately had the upper hand, and with seven points, the African team have a chance to finish second in Group B provided Norway do not beat Denmark later today, after their 34:27 win against Argentina. 

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES – PRELIMINARY ROUND
GROUP В
Egypt vs Argentina 34:27 (14:15)

Diego Simonet was back in Argentina's squad after missing three games due to an injury, and it gave his team some extra boost, so the South Americans looked inspired and quickly seized the initiative. Spurred by some Juan Bar's saves, they used an impressive 5:0 run to pull clear at 9:5 in the 13th minute.

However, 'The Pharaohs" were also looking for their third win at the preliminary stage, and they started to catch up. Just like Bar, his Egyptian colleague Karim Hendawy made some saves, and the African team's defence overall improved, helping the team to fight back into the game.

The chase was quite long, yet a 3:0 run between minutes 25 and 29 helped Egypt to finally draw level at 14:14. They had a chance to pull in front when Hendawy threw at the empty net from his own half, but he missed, and then Pablo Simonet gave Argentina a half-time lead with his last-second goal.

Propelled by Yahia Omar and the Elderaa brothers, "The Pharaohs" enjoyed a 4:0 run early in the second half to create a 19:16 lead, yet soon it was all square again, as the South Americans hit back following a timeout. In the 43th minute, Argentina were in front 22:21, but it proved to be their last lead in this match.

In the last quarter of an hour, the South Americans looked tired and made a lot of mistakes, so Egypt were clearly superior. Hendawy ended the game with 15 saves and a 36% saving efficiency, while Ali Zein and Seif Elderaa became their top scorers with six goals apiece.

"'The Pharaohs" celebrated a win and now hope to finish second in Group B, while Argentina should be credited for their fighting spirit for most of the match on Sunday. However, the South Americans lost all five games in the tournament, just like at Tokyo 2020, and they are on a 12-game losing run at the Olympics.