Egypt will be hoping to at least reach the second round when they open their Handball World Championship campaign on Saturday despite the tough task that awaits them.

The Pharaohs failed to go beyond the group stage in the past two editions but hope they can make the most of a new system that qualifies four teams for the second round rather than three.

They were drawn in a tough group that includes hosts Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Algeria and Australia.

Croatia, who finished as runners up in 2009, Spain and Hungary, ranked fourth in the London Olympic Games, are likely to occupy the top three berths, leaving Egypt to battle it out with Algeria and Australia for the remaining spot.

“We must be realistic. We cannot beat Croatia, Spain and Hungary. But we have a good chance against Algeria and Australia,” Egypt goalkeeper Hamada Al-Naqib said.

“The match against Algeria will be the key to our qualification. We need to focus on this meeting.”

Egypt’s current side is built around young players, with the notable absentee being Hussein Zaki, a prominent Handball player who was omitted for technical reasons.

They play their first game against Hungary on Saturday.

Egypt’s fixtures:

12 January: Egypt vs Hungary (18:00 GMT)

14 January: Egypt vs Spain (18:00 GMT)

15 January: Egypt vs Algeria (15:45 GMT)

17 January: Egypt vs Croatia (20:15 GMT)

19 January: Egypt vs Australia (15:45 GMT)

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