Egypt's pivot #80 Ahmed Adel Abdelrahim reacts after France won in the last second the Men's Handball World Championship quarter-final match between France and Egypt at the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb. AFP
It might not be much of a solace for Egypt but the Pharaohs secured a top-8 finish for the eighth time in 18 World Championship appearances.
With less than five seconds in regulation, Yehia Khaled scored the equalizer for Egypt to complete an impressive comeback in the second half.
However, the Pharaohs were stunned when a Hail Mary shot from Luka Karabatic from half-court crossed the goal line with 0.3 seconds left on the clock before the final whistle.
The Macedonian referee, Nachevski Gjorgji, resorted to a VAR check to confirm the goal's validity.
After review, Gjorgji signalled that the ball crossed the goal line before he blew the final whistle.
The decision left the dumbfounded Egyptian players in tears after their second-half heroic performance.
France will now face Croatia in the semis on Thursday.
Early struggle
The Egyptian team struggled from the outset, plagued by uncharacteristic errors in the first half, allowing France to take control and maintain the lead for most of the opening period.
The six-time World Champions France edged ahead to finish the first half with a big 18-14 advantage.
France's swift offensive strategies proved difficult for the Pharaohs to counter, particularly their fast breaks that consistently widened the point gap.
Egypt adjusted their tactics in the second half by using extra men in offence and leaving an empty goal.
Under the guidance of Coach Juan Carlos Pastor, Egypt staged a remarkable comeback, drawing level at 32-32 just a minute before the final whistle.
The score remained deadlocked at 33-33 until the closing moments before Karabatic's heroics sealed the deal for Les Blues.
Egypt faced numerous challenges throughout their journey in previous championship competitions, including a memorable quarterfinal defeat to Denmark in the 2021 event on home soil.
Their most notable achievement remains a fourth-place finish at the 2001 event in France as they narrowly missed out on the bronze medal in a loss to Yugoslavia in the semifinals.
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