Egypt edged by Spain in thrilling Women’s Youth World Championship semi-final

Egypt’s women’s under-18 handball team were beaten 27-26 by Spain in a dramatic Women’s Youth World Championship semi-final on Friday, missing out on the final by a single goal.

The match repeatedly swung from one side to the other before Spain secured victory in the closing stages. Egypt’s performance nevertheless takes the team into new territory, having reached the semi-finals of the under-18 World Championship for the first time in their history.

Egypt will now play the losers of Denmark against Montenegro in the third-place match, with the chance to claim a bronze medal. Spain will face the winner of that other semi-final in the final.

The result brought an end to an impressive campaign for Egypt, who had remained unbeaten through the group and main rounds before their narrow defeat by Spain.

Their best previous finish in the Women’s Youth World Championship had come in the 2022 edition in North Macedonia, when Egypt finished seventh. This tournament has therefore already produced the strongest result in the history of the team at under-18 world level, regardless of the outcome of the bronze-medal match.

Egypt had also needed a tense finish to overcome China in the quarter-finals, winning 30-29 after a contest that remained in the balance until the final minutes.

They had secured their place in the knockout stage by topping their group with a perfect record. Egypt completed the group phase with victory over Denmark, winning 23-22 in their final match.

The team continued that form in the main round, finishing top of their group without dropping a point. Egypt opened that stage with a 27-24 victory against Croatia, then defeated France 29-24 before recording a commanding 83-17 win over Fiji.

They also produced one of the tournament’s most significant comebacks when they recovered to beat South Korea 29-28.

That sequence of results carried Egypt into the quarter-finals and ultimately a historic semi-final, where their run ended against Spain in the closest possible margin.

Egypt’s squad for the championship was:

Goalkeepers: Jana Ahmed, Jaida Salama, Retaj Mohamed.

Left wings: Juwairia Tamer, Mai Sherif.

Left backs: Judy Metwally, Sondos Essam, Farah Farag.

Centre backs: Mirna Ashraf, Reem Ehab, Yasmine Hassan.

Right backs: Malak Amr, Mariam Salah, Habiba Mahmoud.

Right wings: Malak Khamis, Farida Abou El Magd.

Pivots: Zeina Amr, Zeina Mahmoud.

Published 7 August 2026. Source: FilGoal