Wed Jan 29 20:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Egyptian Handball Team: Near Misses and Continued Excellence
**Cairo, Egypt** – The Egyptian national handball team, a source of pride for the Arab world, continues to dominate African competitions, having secured the African championship for the past three years. Despite consistent success on the continental level, the team has repeatedly fallen short in global competitions, experiencing agonizing near-misses in recent major tournaments.
While boasting a roster of world-class players, including youth world champions and players from top European clubs, Egypt’s recent setbacks have been heartbreaking. In a recent match against France, a mere three-tenths of a second proved to be the difference, eliminating the team despite an impressive performance that included a victory over Croatia. This loss was compounded by significant absences due to injury, including star players Yahya El Darra and Hassan Kadah, along with the absence of Mahab Saeed.
The team also suffered a devastating defeat against Denmark in the 2021 World Championship. In a match widely considered one of the greatest in handball history, Egypt pushed the reigning world champions to a 35-35 draw before ultimately losing in a penalty shootout. This loss dashed hopes of securing Egypt’s, and the Arab world’s, first-ever medal in a team sport at a major global championship.
Another heartbreaking loss came against Spain in the same tournament, where Egypt lost the bronze medal match 33-31 in the final minutes. Despite consistently displaying high skill and determination, the Egyptian team has been plagued by bad luck in crucial moments, leaving fans to wonder what might have been. Despite these setbacks, Egypt’s handball team maintains its status as a leading force in the sport, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
First Piper 