The second leg of the European Qualification Phase 2 for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship decided the teams advancing for the next phase, with several big shocks on the cards, after the two legs which took place throughout Europe last week.

Undoubtedly, the biggest surprise was the comeback engineered by Türkiye against Romania in the second leg, after Romania secured a five-goal win in Bolu, Türkiye, in the first leg, 37:32.

A depleted Romania side, which saw coach George Buricea to make some last-minute additions in the squad, started the second leg with a 3:1 lead, but Türkiye cleaned up their act and scored 21 goals in the first half, managing to erase their deficit from the first leg.

Backs Doruk Pehlivan and Eyüp Arda Yildiz both scored 10 goals, as Türkiye led by as many as seven goals, only for Romania to cut that lead to three goals in the second half. Nevertheless, Türkiye used a seven-on-six attack finished by an in-flight goal from Yildiz to put pressure on Romania and in the last attack, line player Koray Ayar scored his first goal of the match to put Türkiye ahead by six goals, 37:31, and secure safe passage to the next phase of the European Qualification, where they are due to face Norway.

Another nip-and-tuck doubleheader was the one played in Georgia, where the home side lost the first leg against Israel, 31:28. Georgia did not enjoy the best of starts, but mounted a comeback in the second half, helped by eight goals from right back Giorgi Tskhovrebadze.

They led by as many as four goals, 28:24, in the 55th minute, but a last-gasp comeback from Israel saw them cut the lead to two goals in the end of the match, 30:28, as Tskhovrebadze missed the last shot and Israel went through, where they are due to face Spain in the battle for a spot at the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship.

Another comeback stopped short was Ukraine’s, after Slovakia clinched the first leg, 27:24. Ukraine’s top scorer, Ihor Turcenko, scored eight times in the second leg, played in Slovakia, and his team had a four-goal lead after 35 minutes, only for Slovakia to wrestle back the lead and ensure safe passage, after a 31:32 loss. 

Ukraine’s dream of returning to the IHF Men’s World Championship for the first time in 20 years is therefore destroyed, as Slovakia are facing North Macedonia in the next phase of the European Qualifiers.

In the other clashes, the teams securing wins in the first legs were not threatened with comebacks. Bosnia Herzegovina did lose against Kosovo, 29:33, but had enjoyed a 13-goal win in the first leg, progressing to the next phase thanks to an aggregate 63:54 win, now facing the Faroe Islands, which will be aiming for their maiden appearance at the World Championship.

Montenegro did the double against the Finland, with a 30:26 win for a 66:58 win on aggregate, while Serbia are due to face Hungary after a 75:49 win on aggregate against Lithuania, the biggest difference recorded in the eight doubleheaders in the European Qualification Phase 2.

Greece, which had to sweat in the first leg against Belgium, led from start to finish in the second leg, taking a 63:57 win on aggregate to meet the Netherlands in the next phase, while Poland also dished a 33:25 win against Latvia for a 66:49 win on aggregate and will meet Austria in the European Qualification Phase 3.

The 10 teams qualified to the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship via the European Qualification will be known after the Phase 3, which will also take place in doubleheaders around the continent. The first legs are scheduled for 13/14 May, while the deciders are played on 16/17 May.

European Qualification Phase 2  - results 

Slovakia vs Ukraine 31:32 (Slovakia win 58:56 on aggregate)
Kosovo vs Bosnia Hezergovina 33:29 (Bosnia Herzegovina win 63:54 on aggregate)
Montenegro vs Finland 30:26 (Montenegro win 66:58 on aggregate)
Lithuania vs Serbia 24:33 (Serbia win 75:49 on aggregate) 
Israel vs Georgia 28:30 (Israel win 60:59 on aggregate)
Belgium vs Greece 31:34 (Greece win 63:57 on aggregate)
Romania vs Türkiye 31:37 (Türkiye win 69:68 on aggregate)
Poland vs Latvia 33:25 (Poland win 66:49 on aggregate)

European Qualification Phase 3 – schedule (13/14 and 16/17 May)

Slovakia vs North Macedonia
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Faroe Islands
Czechia vs France
Switzerland vs Italy
Montenegro vs Slovenia
Serbia vs Hungary
Spain vs Israel
Greece vs Netherlands
Norway vs Türkiye 
Austria vs Poland 

Photo credit: Turkiye Hentbol Federasyonu