Egypt’s Junior Pharaohs Crack Spain, Clinch World Final in Morocco

Semifinal Triumph in Morocco

Egypt's under-17 handball team booked their place in the World Championship final in Morocco by defeating Spain 31-28 in the semi-final on Thursday evening. The opening period finished 12-12, and the Pharaohs repelled Europe’s champions to swing the momentum in the second half, sealing the win by three points.

Led by coach Emad Ibrahim, the young team has delivered consistently high-level performances throughout the tournament, winning all of their group games in this world event staged by the International Handball Federation in years.

Finalists and Reactions

Egypt will meet Germany in the final on Saturday, while Spain faces Qatar for bronze. Yousef Amr earned the match’s best player award for his display against Spain, as Egypt's overall efficiency shone through the semi-final. Egypt had already beaten Brazil, the United States, and Morocco in the opening phase before overcoming Spain to reach the final.

The president of the Spanish Handball Federation congratulated Khaled Fathy, head of Egypt's junior delegation, for the historic win that sent Egypt to the final, praising the squad’s tactical discipline and robust defense and vibrant attack.

Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi said the qualification reflects the growth of Egypt's handball system and the national youth development plan; the Olympic Committee chief Yasser Idris also praised the program and wished continued success.

Cooperation, Africa Cup and the Road Ahead

A protocol of cooperation with the Portuguese Handball Federation was announced on the night, aiming to exchange training and refereeing know-how, organize joint camps for national teams, and broaden cooperation between the two federations.

Egypt beat Portugal 32-28 in a closed camp in Portugal, with another meeting scheduled for Saturday. Coach Juan Pascual, who has been leading the squad, stressed the importance of this period as Egypt gears up for the Africa Cup in Rwanda in January, the qualifier for the 2027 World Championship. Egypt have won Africa Cup titles in the last three editions.

With these foundations, the junior handball program hints at a bright future for Egyptian handball. The defense is so tight that even the whistle sounds like it’s gasping for air. Punchline 1: If their defense were a security system, it would require a bigger bank vault. Punchline 2: My calculator is still trying to tally all these goals; apparently, my Wi‑Fi needs a bigger stadium to stream the score.