Less than two hours from the capital and therefore from Paris 2024, the new setting is just absolutely perfect.
The CO'Met Arena in Orléans was inaugurated on January 7 for the French handball tournament.
At 6 p.m. (live on BeIN Sports, the Team Channel and HandballTV), the France team will challenge Egypt for its last preparation match before the start of the World Cup on January 11 against Poland.
The new Orleans Arena looks like the very best in terms of sports infrastructure: a magnificent, new, functional and welcoming 10,000-seat hall.
"It is already in my opinion, one of the most beautiful rooms in France", discovers Nikola Karabatic.
It makes you wonder why the Olympic tournament is having a hard time going to Lille in a stadium that is neither made for basketball nor for handball, when at an equidistant distance there is this standard hall which does not require any layout.
Just open the doors and play.
“We will have to raise the level of the physical dimension”
In the final of the French tournament, the Blues inaugurated it against the best team in the world outside the European continent.
Egypt is generally very strong: “Egypt is an opponent that continues to progress in the international hierarchy, confirms Érick Mathé, assistant coach of the France team.
We wanted to face an adversary that makes us more demanding.
We will have to raise the level of the physical dimension against this team.
The idea is to be able to test yourself against a team that has reached the last four of the Olympic Games.
We play matches to get out of training and have this stake in the competition.
The desire to win is there, but not at any price on D-4 before the start of the World Cup.
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This match will be played without the former Parisian, now in Kielce (Poland), Benoît Kounkoud.
Out on injury Wednesday at Le Mans against the Netherlands, he suffers from the left foot.
Arrived on crutches Thursday during the training session, he is also forfeited for the entire World Cup: “The MRI performed this Friday morning in Orléans confirmed the suspicion of a partial rupture of the aponeurosis of the left foot.
Consequently, Benoît is not fit to compete in the World Cup.
He will follow a rehabilitation protocol adapted to this injury,” informs Emmanuel Bidet, the doctor for the France team.
Injured, Benoît Kounkoud is forfeited for the World Cup
Out on injury in the first period Wednesday evening against the Netherlands, Benoît Kounkoud must give up the world championship which begins next Wednesday in Poland.
Get well well Ben 🙏
📰 https://t.co/J5G8VOR7Ke pic.twitter.com/GGj0DQpbRZ
– French Handball Teams (@FRAHandball) January 6, 2023
After Kyllian Villeminot's package for knee problems at the start of the week, the France group is down to 18 players.
Coach Guillaume Gille does not intend to call anyone for reinforcement.
Sunday evening, he will give his final list of selected to the IHF.
This must have… 18 players.
He already has them, without having to make painful choices.