Croatian Junior Women's Team Defeated by Egypt at World Championship Opener
Ivan Jerković's charges lost 24:27 and now must seek victory against Fiji and hope for help from France to advance.
Ivan Jerković's charges lost 24:27 and now must seek victory against Fiji and hope for help from France to advance.
The Croatian women's junior handball team was defeated at the start of the World Championship in Romania. In the match played on July 29, 2026, the Egyptian women celebrated with a score of 24:27. This unexpected loss has seriously complicated the chances of the young Croatians advancing to the main round of the competition.
The match started at 11:45 AM local time in Romania. The first half was evenly contested, with the Egyptians building a three-goal run midway through the first period to take a 10:7 lead. The Croatian handball players, who won the silver medal at the 2025 European Championship, managed to fight back and the teams went to the break tied at 13:13.
However, the decisive moment came early in the second half. After a 14:14 draw, Egypt again went on a 0:3 run to take a three-goal lead (14:17). Croatia managed to cut the deficit to just one or two goals several times, but never truly caught up. The Egyptians maintained their advantage until the end and secured a valuable victory.
For Croatia, Antea Jerković was the most efficient with six goals scored. Mateja Košćec, Nika Batinić, and Lana Jurić each added four goals, as confirmed by the Croatian Handball Federation.
On the other side, Egyptian goalkeeper Jaydaa Selama recorded ten saves, greatly contributing to the win. Jowarieja Abdullah stood out in particular, scoring all eight of her goals from as many attempts (8/8).
With this defeat, Croatia finds itself in a difficult situation. The group also includes strong France, against whom the Croatians are underdogs, and Fiji, against whom a win is expected. According to Sportklub, the top two teams from the group advance, while the third and fourth-placed teams go into placement playoffs.
The next match is scheduled for July 30, 2026, at 10:45 AM Croatian time. A victory against Fiji is imperative, but it does not guarantee advancement, as much will also depend on the outcome of the France-Egypt match. Interestingly, Egypt is no accidental opponent; the same team defeated Croatia 31:33 four years ago in North Macedonia, the Croatian Handball Federation reminds us.
