Egypt suffers Spain defeat in Handball World Cup

Egypt are fighting for their Handball World Cup future Egypt failed to recover from its disappointing start in the Handball World Cup after suffering a 29-24 defeat against host nation Spain. The Pharaohs showed glimpses of quality against the favourites in Madrid, but fell short after falling behind 16-11 at half-time.
In the second half, Egypt pushed forward and closed the gap to just three points at 23-20, but Spain sealed the win in a frantic ending.
Assem Daoud\'s men started the match with positive intent, looking to bounce back from their disappointing 32-23 defeat against Hungary in Group D on Saturday. The opening exchanges were cagey as Mohamed Hesham Sand and Ibrahim al-Masri scored crucial goals to leave the teams tied on 4-4.
The Pharaohs regained the lead in the tenth minute, but the Matadors equalised instantly and then secured a narrow 6-5 lead. Egypt\'s Ahmed al-Ahmar levelled the match again, before Spain took control of the game to open up an 14-8 lead.
Spain began the second half with a 16-11 advantage, and although Egypt narrowed the gap, their performance significantly declined with the hosts making it 28-20 in the closing stages. Towards the end, Egypt launched a final flurry of attacks but Spain held on for a 29-24 victory.
Back-to-back defeats mean the Pharaohs now face a must-win match against Algeria on Tuesday, if they are to qualify for the knock out stages.
The first four teams in each group will qualify for the next round.