Portugal within reach of second Olympics: “Another final for us”

Three years ago, in the qualification for Tokyo 2020, Portugal secured the place at their first Olympic Games in the most dramatic and thrilling fashion, thanks to an intercept and fast break goal from Rui Silva in the dying seconds of the deciding match. Now, Portugal come into the third match day at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in a similar position — facing a “final” against tournament hosts Hungary, in the battle for the group’s second and only remaining ticket to Paris 2024. 

The 2024 OQTs started with a defeat for Portugal, who played a solid and exciting match against Norway but came away with a 29:32 result against them. On Saturday, Portugal took their first points with a powerful victory over Tunisia, 37:29. 

“We made a good game since the beginning. We tried to show for what we came, to win, because we know that after the defeat that we had against Norway that our chances start today, like a final,” said captain and centre back Silva after the match. “I think we made a really good game and the results showed what we made today.”

 

 

 

 

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In the opening game in Tatabanya, Portugal were chasing Norway throughout the game, coming very close in the end but ultimately seeing a loss. 

“We saw that some things didn’t come so good for us — that Norway prepared for the game really good. But I think we fixed those kinds of things,” said Silva regarding what they worked on since the game against Norway, before facing Tunisia. “Our defence today was really good. Our goalkeeper made an amazing game. We were more together and I think that helped us a lot as a team.”

Portugal burst back onto the top international scene in 2020, returning to the EHF EURO for the first time since 2006, then doing the same at the World Championship in 2021, after an 18-year wait to contest the global event again. A couple of months after the Egypt 2021 World Championship, they booked their debut Olympic berth. 

Since then, Portugal have been a mainstay in the major championships. But that is not all — when they came back to the EURO in 2020, it was in absolute style, as they made it to the final weekend and took their best ranking ever in the competition, sixth. Part of that campaign involved an opening win against France, who were not title holders in any competition at that time but have hardly missed any semi-finals since 2000. Overthrowing Les Experts was therefore a huge statement from Portugal and an immense feat. 

With that EURO performance, Portugal were immediately positioned as a top threat to any opponent. They have not managed to match the final ranking achieved at the EHF EURO 2020 but had a great start to 2024 as they equalled their second-best EURO position ever, seventh, at the championship played in Germany in January. Portugal’s form at the EURO showed them as one of the favourite sides to book a Paris 2024 ticket at the OQTs. 

Although they narrowly missed booking a spot on the final weekend at the EURO again, Silva says there was no disappointment for the side, as the campaign overall was very positive. 

“We don’t see it as so disappointed like that because we feel that we made a really good tournament. Of course, we want to achieve other things and go a little bit higher, but we know that we have to go step by step and we prefer to put in our mind that we made a really good tournament and now have this situation again [possibility of qualifying for the Olympics]. Maybe the people, two or three years ago, thought that it’s impossible for Portugal and we made it. Now I think it will be another dream that we can make, if we qualify for the Olympics.”

The situation in Tournament 3 in Hungary sees one ticket to Paris 2024 already booked, as Norway made it two wins in two games on Saturday when they beat Hungary 29:25. On the last match day in Tatabanya, Portugal will play Hungary in a direct battle for the Olympic berth. 

“It will be really difficult. We already played against Hungary in the EURO in 2022 at home [for Hungary], and we know how difficult it is because the fans and the atmosphere they have are amazing. But as a team, we already proved that we can make really good things and we will come to win and to try our best to qualify for the Olympics,” said Silva. “We already know that will be another final for us.”

Portugal eye their second Olympic Games ever, and it would be the second for many players in the team, but others are hoping to have the experience for the first time, like super talent Francisco “Kiko” Costa. As Silva highlights, growing up without seeing Portugal at the Olympics made it that much more of a lofty dream for the players, but they are back with the Games within their grasp and the dream is once again very close to reality.

“It’s amazing because when we were young, the way that we see the Portuguese handball, I think we never thought that can be possible. We have already gone one time and now we are fighting for the second time,” said Silva. 

“It’s amazing. It’s like a dream for the players that have already gone one time, but a bigger dream for the players that we have now that are younger that didn’t go at that time. But it’s something that we, as a group, fight for every dream, in every competition, and now we will fight for this dream.”