World Championship hosts Croatia secure their place in the quarter-finals with a 29:26 nail-biting victory over Slovenia. Egypt is also through to the last eight.
26.01.2025, 22:10
26.01.2025, 22:35
SDA
The starting position in the clash between the neighbors was clear: Croatia needed a win against the already eliminated Slovenians to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2017. The Croatians also wanted to achieve this goal with the help of their home crowd.
But it was initially quiet in the Zagreb arena. The Slovenians got off to a lightning start and took a 5:0 lead. The Croatians recovered from the initial shock and equalized by the break (15:15). However, it took until the 39th minute before the tournament co-hosts took the lead for the first time. Slovenia fought back to the best of their ability, but ultimately had to concede defeat.
While Egypt secured their progression with a 31:24 victory over Cape Verde, Iceland, who were level on points, were left behind.
The quarter-finals will therefore see France face Egypt, Croatia face Hungary (on Tuesday in Zagreb), Denmark face Brazil and Portugal face Germany (on Wednesday in Oslo).
