It was a game without stakes between France and Norway, two teams already qualified for the quarter-finals, but the Blues undoubtedly lost big during this meeting with the injuries of Timothey N'Guessan and Hugo Descat.
🤾🇫🇷🇳🇴 First defeat of the French handball team.
The Blues, already qualified for the quarter-finals, lost to Norway (32-29).
Next meeting against BarheĂŻn, Tuesday, in quarters!
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From the start of the meeting, Timothey N'Guessan could not hold his place in this match, affected in the right calf.
Quickly out of the field, the back was taken care of by the medical staff, and presented himself on the bench with a brace at the start of the second half.
"It's never good on the eve of cleaver matches"
New concern this time at the end of the game, while Hugo Descat placed a pose of ice on his adductor.
The left winger, very solid since the start of the tournament, had scored 5 goals in this meeting.
"We are also worried, confessed Valentin Porte at the microphone of France Televisions at the end of the meeting.
(…) We know their nature but we do not know their seriousness, but it is never good especially at the end of the group stage and on the eve of the cleaver matches.
(…) We will see that tomorrow ".
If the two injured cannot keep their rank in the next matches, Guillaume Gille could call on Romain Lagarde, reservist and present in Tokyo to fill the absence of Timothey N'Guéssan.
It will be more complicated for Hugo Descat, since there are "few solutions on the left wing", recognized Valentin Porte.
Despite the defeat (32-29), the France team retains the lead in Group A and will face Bahrain in the quarter-finals.
Kick-off scheduled for Tuesday, August 3 at 9:30 a.m. PST.
