Handball World Cup: France easily wins against Saudi Arabia and goes to the main round

A nice walk before attacking the serious things.

For its second meeting of the competition, still in Katowice (Poland), the French team did not go into detail against Saudi Arabia (41-23), and at the same time qualified for the round. major.

Next Monday (6 p.m.), it will be necessary to have Slovenia in the last preliminary match to build up confidence before attacking the rest, Wednesday in Krakow.

END OF THE MATCH 🇫🇷 41-23 🇸🇦

It's over, the BLUES win the 2nd game of the preliminary round and qualify for the main round!

🔥

RDV Monday at 6:00 p.m. against Slovenia 🇫🇷⚡🇸🇮 pic.twitter.com/BM2fncOxlI

– French Handball Teams (@FRAHandball) January 14, 2023

Launched into orbit by their inaugural success (26-24) against Poland, Guillaume Gille's men were sure of their superiority against the weakest team in their pool.

More than one world, almost a universe, separates the Olympic champion and the 3rd in the 2022 Asian championship, who qualified at the end of this competition with Didier Dinart at his head.

Twenty years ago, within six days, France and Saudi Arabia clashed at the 2003 World Cup, the only confrontation between the two countries.

A special day for a certain Nikola Karabatic, who had remained on the bench during his first competition with the Blues, victorious (30-23).

Now 38 years old, the PSG center half was spared for about twenty minutes, before returning to the floor to score his first goal of the competition and finally give his team some air (15-10) .

At the break, the game is already folded (24-14).

Deprived of Luka Karabatic, his captain recovering from injury, and Dika Mem (preserved by the staff), but able to count on the return of Valentin Porte, Guillaume Gille largely rotates his workforce.

All the outfield players listed on the match sheet go there with their achievements, with special mentions for Kentin Mahé, Nicolas Tournat and Yannis Lenne (6, 7 and 8 goals).

Small flat: some approximations in defense which allowed the brave Saudis to pass the bar of 20 goals.

France now have two days to recover before facing Slovenia, a nation that has done well for them since 2015 with six straight wins.

It will be necessary to win to be sure of finishing at the top of the group and therefore take the maximum number of points before integrating the main round, where the Blues will find Spain, as well as two other opponents among Montenegro, Iran and Chile.