Egypt narrowly fell to France in an intense quarterfinal clash at the 2025 Handball World Championship, losing 34-33 in the final second.
The match, marked by extraordinary drama, saw six-time world champions France edge out the 2024 African champions with a buzzer-beating goal from Luka Karabatic.
Both teams traded leads throughout the match with France starting strong, establishing a 4-1 lead early on.
However, Egypt capitalized on their opponents mistakes, taking a narrow 8-7 lead midway through the first half. Despite Egypt’s fightback, the French team regained their composure, finishing the first half with an 18-14 advantage.
Ahmed Hesham led the Pharaohs to an impressive comeback in the second half, drawing level at 24-24 and matching France’s every move. Dika Mem restored France’s lead, but Egypt’s relentless attack kept the game tied at 30-30 heading into the final moments.
With 0.03 seconds remaining on the clock, and the score locked at 33-33, Luka Karabatic launched a desperate shot from midfield that found the back of the net just nanoseconds before the final whistle. The Egyptian team held their breath, hoping the goal would be ruled out, but the officials confirmed the goal.
“It was an incredibly tense and tough match from start to finish. It came down to a buzzer-beater, and thankfully for us, we’re still alive and heading to the semifinals. Congratulations to Egypt; they played an exceptional game, and it was decided by the smallest detail,” Karabatic told beIN Sports.
This hard-fought victory sends France to their sixth consecutive IHF World Championship semifinal, where they will face Croatia, who also qualified through a dramatic win, defeating Hungary with a last-minute comeback.
Despite the defeat, Egypt’s Seif Elderaa was named the hummel Player of the Match. The Pharaohs will now shift their focus to competing for the fifth to eighth place in the tournament, with their next opponents set to be determined after the remaining quarterfinals.