France start quest for second U21 world title

After claiming the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship title in Georgia two years ago, the 1998 generation of France players are one of the favourites to raise the trophy at the 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship in Spain. On Tuesday 16 July, France begin that quest when they meet Nigeria in their opening Group B game in As Travesas Sport Hall, Vigo. 

France and Nigeria will take the court following the first round one game for Group B, Egypt versus Australia, at 10:00 local time. The last round one game in the group will see Sweden playing Republic of Korea at 14:30 local time. 

GROUP B
Feature match: France vs Nigeria 
As Travesas Sport Hall, 12:00 local time

They were the team to beat in this age category until last summer: the 1998 generation of France players started their international careers by taking the first major international title they competed for, at the Men’s U18 EHF EURO 2016. One year later, they raised the trophy at their first World Championship. 

France’s first stumbling block in this age group came in 2018, when they lost the final at the Men’s U20 EHF EURO to Slovenia. They left the European championship with a silver medal, but it was nevertheless a lesson for the team.  

“Before last summer, we had never lost a final, and this defeat at the EURO brought us back to earth,” says centre back Noah Gaudin. “We have already won some medals and, like four or five other teams, we have the ambition to reach at least the final round at the World Championship in Spain.” 

Led by the MVP of the U18 EHF EURO 2016 and 2017 Youth World Championship, Kyllian Villeminot, France will start the journey they hope will end only on the last day of Spain 2019, against Nigeria. While the European team are playing their 18th Junior World Championship, and have collected four medals at the competition (one gold, in 2015, and three bronze), Nigeria are contesting their third. 

Nigeria qualified for Spain 2019 by way of the bronze medal at the 2018 African Men’s Junior Handball Championship, which was their first medal at the event since 1984. Nigeria have only played the Junior African Championship three times, and each time celebrated a medal – but as the first two were in the 1980s, it has clearly been a long wait for the African side to return to both the continental and World Championship. 

“We have top class teams in our group, and respect them individually,” says coach Agboola Shittu. “However, we are coming to Spain to ultimately create a positive and lasting impression.”

Australia debut vs African champions opens Group B

The first day of competition in Vigo will open with Australia making their debut at the Men’s Junior World Championship, at 10:00 local time. The Oceania nation qualified for Spain 2019 with their win at the continental IHF Trophy. They will meet an Egypt side considered to be more experienced, as they are the current African champions and have played no less than 17 campaigns at the Junior World Championship. 

In the last five editions, Egypt made it to the semi-finals three times – though they always walked away without a medal. The African team did celebrate bronze in 1999 and took the trophy in 1993, however.
 
The day will close with Sweden playing Republic of Korea in what will surely be a fast-paced match between two styles that favour speed as an important weapon. Sweden reached Spain 2019 thanks to a 10th-place finish at the U20 EHF EURO last summer, while Republic of Korea won the Asian Men’s Junior Championship in 2018, beating Japan in an extra-time final. The teams will throw off at 14:30 local time. 

Live stream for all matches will be provided on ihf.info. Simply click ‘match details’ for a live score, live stream option and all the match statistics.