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Examining Group G: Hosts try to reverse the balance against European powerhouse

24 Dec. 2020

Examining Group G: Hosts try to reverse the balance against European powerhouse

Two teams from Europe, one from Africa and one from South America will feature in Group G, one that will surely deliver exciting and nail-biting games.

Hosts Egypt are eyeing a main round berth against familiar World Championship opponents. The North African side have been drawn into a World Championship preliminary round group featuring Sweden and Czech Republic as well for the third time already after 2001 and 2015. 

The group will also feature the opening game of the competition, which will see the hosts take on Chile on 13 January for the first time ever in a competitive match.

Sweden, the fifth-placed team at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship, look to be the team to beat in this group, with loads of firepower and the experience.

They have a positive head-to-head record against every other team in the group, losing only once in 14 games against the Czech Republic, Egypt and Chile.

While the Czech side – five losses in five games – and Chile – one loss in one game – have lost all their mutual games against Sweden, Egypt might try to emulate their only win against the Nordic side in eight games.

The hosts enjoyed a 26:25 win against Sweden at the 2016 Olympic Games, but failed to win the last two games played between the two sides, both at the IHF Men’s World Championship.

Sweden got the best of Egypt in 2017 (33:26), while sneaking a three-goal win two years ago (27:24), as backs Jim Gottfridsson and Lukas Nilsson scored five goals each.

Czech Republic return to the IHF Men’s World Championship for the first time since 2015, as they look to improve their 17th place at Qatar 2015.

However, the side of Jan Filip and Daniel Kubes will have a mountain to climb if they want to replicate previous results at Egypt 2021.

Their closest loss against Sweden came in the quarter-finals of the 1995 IHF Men’s World Championship (17:21), while their last game against the Nordic side finished in a 22:35 rout at Qatar 2015.

Moreover, Czech Republic have only won once in five games against Egypt, with all encounters taking place at the flagship event of men’s handball, the World Championship. That win happened in the group phase at Germany 2007 and could not have been closer, with a final score of 31:30.

The latest match between the two sides ended in a 27:24 victory for Egypt at Qatar 2015.

With only 35 games played at an IHF Men’s World Championship, Chile only played against Sweden out of their Group G opponents.

It was a 28:18 Swedish win at the 2011 IHF Men’s World Championship on home soil that highlighted Sweden’s form, as the Nordic side finished fourth in the competition.

With only three places up for grabs for the main round, Sweden, Czech Republic and Egypt are the favourites to proceed to the next phase, yet only time will tell the amount of points they will bring to the main round as we can expect close matches in the Cairo Stadium Sports Hall.

All Group G matches will be played in Cairo Stadium Sports Hall on 13, 14, 16 and 18 January. More information on the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship can be found here.