The French team got closer, this Wednesday, to the quarter-finals of the World Handball Championship which takes place until January 31 in Egypt.
After three victories against Norway (28-24), Austria (35-28) and Switzerland (25-24), France started the main round with an unsurprising victory against Algeria (29-26 ).
It will only take one victory, this Friday, against Iceland, or Sunday against Portugal, to validate his ticket.
🇫🇷⚡🇩🇿 A suspenseful end to the match 🌩
We never let go ✊ #BleuetFier #FRAALG https://t.co/jyeiTy9T4n
- France Hand Teams (@FRAHandball) January 20, 2021
In the meantime, this France - Algeria, the first confrontation between the two selections for 18 years, has not been a walk in the park, far from it.
Algeria, a small nation on the international handball map, held high for the French who have not yet regained all their splendor from the first match against Norway.
They even really scared their supporters at times.
Algeria has never let go
The start of the match for the Blues has already been much more complicated than expected.
Surprised by the good Algerian intentions, Guillaume Gille's players took long minutes to enter the match.
The Algerians took the opportunity to offer themselves a moment of happiness by dominating for a good 15 minutes a great handball nation (1-5, 8th; 7-9, 15th).
The French began to regain color after a quarter of an hour of play (9-9, 17th).
However, the Algerians of Alain Portes remained in contact for several minutes.
In lack of consistency, the Blues reached the break with only two goals ahead (16-14).
At that moment, we say to ourselves that the case is folded, the Blues, from the top of their 6 world championship titles, will finally fly away.
Not at all: the Algerians resisted (21-21, 47th) without ever letting go.
The Portes players are even passed in front at times (22-23).
We do not know how far this team of France will go in the World Cup, but its course does not inspire unfailing serenity.
France 29 🇫🇷⚡🇩🇿 26 Algeria
Les Bleus win and take an option in the quarter-finals of this World Cup # Egypt2021 ✊ Meet
Friday 6:00 p.m. against Iceland 🇮🇸 #BleuetFier #FRAALG pic.twitter.com/MrsU7Kv90X
- France Hand Teams (@FRAHandball) January 20, 2021
10 minutes from the end, the French still had only one goal (24-23), the same 5 minutes from time (26-25).
Manhandled to the end, they ended up winning (29-26) but in pain.
To climb into the last four of this World Cup, the delegation's stated objective, it will be necessary to be more convincing in the next matches, while Iceland (Friday) and Portugal (Sunday) loom.
In the other group game, Switzerland beat Iceland 20-18.
Like what, there is no reliable hierarchy in this Egyptian world.
FRANCE - ALGERIA: 29-26
Half-time: 16-14
Arbitrators: MM.
Grillo and Lenci (Arg.)
France:
Abalo (1 goal), Dipanda (1), Fabregas (4), Guigou (1), Porte (3), Remili (3), Richardson (2), Tournat (3), Mahé (4 don 1 pen. ), Mem (4), L. Karabatic (1), Acquevillo (2).
Entr.
Gille.