
Egypt's national handball team player Ahmed Nafea scores during the 26-25 victory over Slovenia in the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship on Friday. Photo: Egypt Handball National Team's X account.
The thrilling encounter, held at the Zagreb Arena, marked Egypt’s second match in the main round and showcased the Pharaohs’ resilience under pressure.
The Pharaohs entered the game following a 27-24 defeat to Iceland in their main round opener.
The match began with a strong defensive display from Egypt, spearheaded by goalkeeper Mohamed Ali, whose early heroics helped the team establish a 9-5 lead.
However, Slovenia capitalized on defensive errors from the Pharaohs to claw their way back, leveling the score at 10-10.
The Slovenian side faced a setback in the 16th minute when Rok Ovniček suffered an injury, forcing him to exit the game.
Egypt regained their rhythm thanks to stellar performances from Seif El-Deraa, Yehia Khaled, and Ahmed Adel, who repeatedly pierced through Slovenia’s defensive lines.
The first half ended with Egypt holding a narrow 16-14 lead after a dramatic moment saw Egypt’s last-second goal by Sisa disallowed following a video review, which confirmed that time had expired.
The second half was a tense affair, with both teams squandering scoring opportunities.
Mohamed Ali once again emerged as a key figure, making several crucial saves to preserve Egypt’s slender advantage.
Despite some uncharacteristic errors from the Egyptian side, Slovenia could only reduce the deficit to one goal, falling just short of a comeback.
With this hard-fought victory, Egypt now sit second in Group D of the main round with six points, trailing only Iceland, who lead due to a superior head-to-head record.
Egypt’s upcoming crucial game will be against Cape Verde on Sunday.
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