Morocco Narrowly Falls to USA in Handball World Cup Opener, 27-28

14 January 2023 – byGinette · 1 min read

The Moroccan handball team had a difficult start against their American counterpart in their Friday night match at the Kinnarps Arena in Jönköping, Sweden. The Atlas Lions got off to a poor start, trailing by 3 goals from the start of the match (2-5, 3-8) before equalizing two minutes before the end of the first half (11-11). The men of Noureddine Bouhaddioui, who committed multiple defensive fouls, concluded the first half with a tied score, 12 goals each.

Despite an encouraging start after the break, where they took the lead for the first time in the match (15-14), the Moroccans ultimately succumbed to American pressure (27-28). The Moroccan players nevertheless showed determination until the end, refusing to give up.

"We made defensive mistakes that were costly. It’s a shame, because we had the potential to win this match," said national coach Noureddine Bouhaddioui after the match.

Goalkeeper Jamal Ouaali, who was one of the best players of the match, also commented: "We had strong moments, but we were unable to maintain them. We have to learn from this defeat and prepare for our next match against Egypt."

The national team’s next outing will be against the reigning African champion Egypt this Sunday at 6pm. Morocco will then face Croatia on January 17 at 8:30pm. This is the 8th participation of the Moroccan handball team in a world championship and their best result remains the 17th place obtained in 1999.

Category: Sport

Keywords:

United States Sweden Handball Poland Morocco Handball Team