France record 55-2 against Fiji, Croatia loses to Egypt
The French U18 women's handball team set a new World Championship record with a +53 goal difference, while Croatia was defeated by Egypt 27-24 in the first round.
The French U18 women's handball team set a new World Championship record with a +53 goal difference, while Croatia was defeated by Egypt 27-24 in the first round.
The first round of the U18 Women's Handball World Championship in Romania brought a historic result and great disappointment for Croatian fans. While France demolished debutant Fiji 55-2 (27-1) and broke the tournament record, Croatia lost to Egypt 27-24 in the second match of Group A.
According to a report from Kurir, France imposed a devastating game from the first attack and led 9-0. Fiji scored their first goal in World Championship history through Ro Banuve Logavatu in the 8th minute to make it 9-1. However, a shocking run of 33 consecutive goals by the French followed, and Fiji failed to find the net for a full 38 minutes, until the 46th minute when Litija Vunivai scored to make it 42-2.
By the end, the goal difference had risen to an incredible +53, breaking the previous World Championship record (+49) shared by Slovakia and South Korea. Klix.ba initially incorrectly reported a 23-goal loss, but the actual difference was 53 goals. Every French player who entered the game got on the scoresheet, with the most effective being Grace Mpioso with ten goals, followed by Oumou Traore (7), Thya Hellegoet (6), and Emma Plancon (6).
The debutant at the World Championship, from a country of about 1 million inhabitants and a journey of 16,000 kilometers, had only 12 players available, including two goalkeepers. Lavenija Ravuna stopped five of 48 shots faced, and Paulina Nagata stopped one of 13 attempts. In total, Fiji scored just two goals from 29 shots. On the other side, France had all 16 handball players and complete dominance.
The Croatian handball players did not start well. In a tense match, Egypt won 27-24. Kurir and Klix.ba do not provide details about that match, but after this loss, Croatia faces a crucial duel against Fiji in the continuation of the competition. Given the exhaustion and manpower of the Fiji team, this will be an opportunity for the first triumph at the tournament.
In the other first-round match of Group A, Sweden faced Hungary, but sources do not provide the result of that match.
