What Slovakia, Tunisia, Paraguay and the People’s Republic of China have in common is that they all finished fourth in their groups in the preliminary round, failing to win any of their first three matches at Spain 2021.

Facing easier opposition when they meet for the first time in Llíria, as the President’s Cup throws off, the four sides will be eyeing their first win, which could improve their final ranking at the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship.

Slovakia vs Tunisia 15:00 CET

Motivation will be key in the President’s Cup at Spain 2021, but teams can also improve by playing against kindred opponents.

However, for both Slovakia and Tunisia, the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship will provide their worst finish ever in the competition, as they cannot place higher than 25th, after failing to secure a main round berth.

For Slovakia, the preliminary round draw handed them a tough challenge, playing against three European opponents – Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic – a mountain of a challenge, which the Slovak side could not conquer.

They conceded large losses against Germany and Hungary, but pushed their neighbours to the limit, conceding a narrow 23:24 loss in the last game in the Poliesportiu Pla de L'Arc in Llíria.

Now facing three other teams in the President’s Cup Group II, Slovakia will take on their new challenge, as they face Tunisia in the first match.

“The players left everything on the court, but the disappointment is big, since we failed to qualify for the main round. We simply should have won this match, but we could not capitalise on what we did good and allow our opponents back in the game. A new challenge awaits now,” said Slovakia’s coach, Pavol Streicher, according to the Slovak Handball Federation’s website.

This will be the first time Slovakia face an African side at the IHF Women’s World Championship, with a new style and a new mindset to be discovered by the European team.

Since finishing last at Germany 2017, four years ago, Tunisia are on a 10-game losing streak at the world handball flagship competition and the loss against Congo, 24:33, in the last game of the preliminary round, in Granollers, basically added insult to injury.

"We lost a match we really didn’t have to lose (against Congo). We had a general breakdown. It is also a mental part, because we won against Congo in the African championship. We played the easy way,” said Tunisia’s coach, Moez Ben Amor.

Trying to stop the rut will be difficult against Slovakia, but Tunisia will surely eye wins against Paraguay and China in the next days in Llíria, trying to avoid finishing last for the second time in a row at the IHF Women’s World Championship.

“We know the level will be different in the President’s Cup than in the main round, but this young team will try to do everything in their power to win games,” concluded Ben Amor.

Paraguay vs People’s Republic of China 17:30 CET

From the four teams competing in this group of the President’s Cup, Paraguay have scored the lowest amount of goals, 52, 17 less than Tunisia and China, and conceded the most, 111, in their three losses against Croatia, Japan and Brazil.

The difference was there on display, as the South American side could simply not keep up the pace with the other three sides, being the first team heading to the President’s Cup after conceding two heavy losses in their first two matches.

Now, a new part of the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship starts for Paraguay, despite the South American side already securing their worst-ever finish in the competition.

This will be the third time Paraguay face China at the World Championship, having lost their first game, 14:23, but bouncing back in the President’s Cup four years ago at Germany 2017, when they avoided finishing last by winning against the Asian side, 23:21.

Nobody could have embodied Paraguay’s challenge at Spain 2021 better than Fatima Ocampos, the goalkeeper who received the hummel Player of the Match Award in the loss against Brazil on Monday, after posting a 43% saving efficiency and stopping 17 shots.

“I am just so happy to be for the first time at the IHF Women’s World Championship and I only want to improve, work hard and get better,” said Ocampos after the 19:33 loss.

On the other hand, China have won only five of their last 25 games in the world handball flagship competition, but they are trying to deploy a fast-paced playing style, designed by Korean coach Kim Gapsoo, having already scored 27 goals against Austria and 24 goals against Argentina at Spain 2021.

Paraguay are, by no means, at the level of those two sides, therefore China could have a chance or two to win their first match at Spain 2021 in their first game in the President’s Cup.

Photo: RFEBM / J. Navarro