Perfect start for Poland/Sweden 2023

The 28th edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship will begin on Wednesday with a top-notch match as co-hosts Poland face reigning Olympic champions France in a sold-out Spodek Arena in Katowice.

• 21:00 CET Poland vs France 

The Spodek Arena in Katowice will be sold out for the opening match of the 28th IHF Men’s World Championship as co-hosts Poland take on France in a clash featuring two of the best European teams at the moment in the opening match of Group B.

While Poland might have wished for an easier opponent to take on in the first match rather than the most decorated team in the history of the competition, the setup will provide an excellent window into the tournament, which schedules a record-breaking 112 matches.

For the two teams – favourites to progress to the main round – the clash will be of the utmost importance as the points secured against the other qualified teams are taken into the next phase of the competition.

“It is the first match, played in Poland, against a good team that will be supported by thousands of fans. Honestly, it looks like a trap,” said France’s coach Guillaume Gille, according to the official website of the French Handball Federation.

Indeed, the last time the two teams met in a major competition in Poland, France conceded a 26:31 loss in the preliminary round of the EHF EURO 2016, which proved devastating as they did not progress to the semi-finals, failing to retain their European crown.

However, that was the only loss for France in the last seven years against Poland, with the reigning Olympic champions boasting a four-match unbeaten streak against their opponents with three wins and a single draw.

Yet Gille has some headaches, as several players are injured and will not make it to Poland/Sweden 2023. Left wing Hugo Descat and left back Timothey N’Guessan are the most recent casualties, but the list also includes right wing Benoît Kounkoud and defensive specialist Karl Konan.

However, France still have plenty of talent left in the squad, as back Nikola Karabatić will feature in his ninth edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship. At the same time, centre back Kentin Mahé will earn his 150th cap for “Les Experts” if he is named in the 16-player matchday squad by Gille, with France taking 18 players for the tournament to Poland.

On the other hand, Poland have been growing organically in recent years. They have not made it into the top 10 since winning the bronze at Qatar 2015, even missing the tournament at Denmark/Germany 2019. 

However, Patryk Rombel’s work was tested at Egypt 2021, when the young Poland squad finished in 13th place with three wins, a draw and two losses in six matches.

With more experience among the players, Poland look better prepared now and enter the tournament on a five-match winning streak in friendly matches after a tough loss against Tunisia in late December.

“We are excited, there is a bit of stress, but everything is going according to plan. We hope to deliver our best handball in the coming weeks and make our country and ourselves proud,” says Poland’s coach Patryk Rombel to ihf.info.

With a sold-out arena in Katowice, the pressure will be on Poland to deliver, yet Rombel feels like the fans are only there to help and enhance his team’s chances to win.

“Polish fans are amazing, and they always help the team play better and better, irrespective of the sport. You saw it in volleyball, and you can see it in handball. They will give us that extra 5-10% that we need to achieve something amazing,” adds Rombel.

Including friendlies, this will be the 40th match between the two sides, with France winning 14 times, Poland securing 18 wins and seven matches ending in a draw. It will also be France’s 170th match at the IHF Men’s World Championship as the most decorated team in history – with six trophies – try to make it seven.