Veszprem start European Handball Champions League campaign with Porto win

Veszprem began their European Handball Champions League campaign with a convincing 36-28 victory over Porto, with three Egyptian players featuring in the opening round of the preliminary stage.

The Hungarian side secured both points in Group A, taking control of the match against their Portuguese opponents and making a positive start to their bid to reach the main round of the competition.

Egypt internationals Yahia El Deraa, Ahmed Hesham “Dodo” and Ahmed Adel “Dola” all played for Veszprem. Yahia El Deraa scored three goals, while Dola found the net once. Dodo also took part in the match but did not score.

Another Egyptian player, Ali Zein, was absent from the Veszprem squad for the game.

The result leaves Veszprem competing at the top end of a Group A line-up that also includes German club Fuchse Berlin and Serbian side Partizan, alongside Porto.

Veszprem’s next fixture will be against Fuchse Berlin on Wednesday. That match will provide the Hungarian team with another test in the early stages of the group campaign, after their eight-goal victory over Porto gave them an ideal start.

The competition’s preliminary stage features 24 teams divided across six groups. The first two teams in each group will qualify for the main round, meaning 12 sides will progress from the opening phase.

Those 12 qualifiers will then be divided into two groups in the main round. Each team is therefore competing for one of the two available qualifying places in its group, with Veszprem having taken an important first step by beating Porto.

The 36-28 scoreline also gave Veszprem a strong opening result in a section containing four teams from Hungary, Germany, Portugal and Serbia. Their next meeting with Fuchse Berlin will be their second Group A match, before the remaining fixtures determine which clubs advance.

Veszprem’s victory was achieved with contributions from the three Egyptian players who were involved. El Deraa’s three goals and Dola’s single strike added to the team’s attacking output, while Dodo featured without registering on the scoresheet. Zein’s absence meant that only three of the four Egyptian players associated with the squad appeared in the match.

The opening-round win puts Veszprem’s qualification campaign on a positive footing, while Porto must now recover from their defeat as the group stage continues.