The Egyptian national team was no laughing matter in the first match ever played at the Women's Handball World Championship! GSP witnessed a historic moment
Article by Ionuţ Iordache, Adrian Jitea – Published Friday, 28 November 2025, 20:46 / Updated Friday, 28 November 2025 20:46
The Egyptian national team was no laughing matter on its debut in the framework Women's Handball World Championship. It lost within decent limits against Austria, score 20-29.
- Reporter Adrian Jitea and photojournalist Ionuț Iordache are in Rotterdam with the Romanian national team and transmit all the information and images that matter
Egypt is a force in men's handball, but the women's national team had never qualified for a world final tournament.
They ticked off a brave premiere today. The North African players started strongly against Austria. They also led by 3 goals, score 7-4, and received the applause of hundreds of fans. Nothing was working in the European national team. Balls scattered on the positional attack, without useful interventions from the goal.
Egypt, applauded debut at the World Championship
In Rotterdam Ahoy, the excitement was growing by the minute. More and more Dutchmen took their seats in the stands or on the surrounding terraces. From 21:30, the Batavian national team faces Argentina.
The booths entered with an honorable difference for the Egyptians, a deficit of only two goals, score 12-14. The balance was broken in the second half. Despite the absence of two key players, Katarina Pandza and Johanna Reichert, both injured, the Austrians were physically better, hitting effectively on the counterattack and won 29 to 20.
The best player of the match was voted Touka Gadallah, scorer of 6 goals from 9 throws.
Touka Gadallah / Images from the match Austria – Egypt 29-20 PHOTO: Ionuţ Iordache (GSP)
The goalkeeper Gihad Sayed also stood out from the Egypt camp. After saving a ball with his face, moment captured below by the GSP photojournalist, he managed to score from goal to goal.
For the debutants at the World Cup, an infinitely more complicated test follows, against the Netherlands, one of the hosts of the competition.
Austria will face Argentina.
Group E schedule at the Women's Handball World Championship:
- November 28, 19:00 » Austria – Egypt
- November 28, 21:30 » Netherlands – Argentina
- November 30, 19:00 » Austria – Argentina
- November 30, 21:30 » Egypt – Netherlands
- December 2, 19:00 » Argentina – Egypt
- December 2, 21:30 » Netherlands – Austria
Handball GSP » Oana Manea analyzed Romania's victorious debut at the World Championship
