Paris (AFP)
The French handballers scored a second victory in qualifying for the Euro-2020 by winning 23-17 against Iceland on Sunday in Reykjavik.
The Blue, champion of Europe and the world in title, had started their European campaign by a big success 38-17 against the Turks Wednesday in Amiens.
Revanchhardes after being swept by the Croats 29-8 in their inaugural match, the Icelanders offered much more resistance to the French at this second meeting.
Especially since, as against Turkey, the players of Olivier Krumbholz were a little lacking in efficiency in the first half and ran into a strong opponent guardian.
The French have returned to the locker room with only three lengths ahead (13-10), thanks in particular to the first three goals in blue of the young right-back Océane Sercien-Ugolin, 21 years.
After the break, the Blues again struggled to find the frame. Result: eight minutes of scarcity and an Icelandic equalizer (13-13). But Pauline Coatanea then Manon Houette and Grace Zaadi revived the machine (18-14), while the tricolor goalkeeper Catherine Gabriel chained several parries.
Ten minutes from the end, the French have finally managed to break away, with six goals (22-16), against Icelanders who seemed a little dulled, perhaps because of their long trip to Croatia. midweek.
The Blue maintained this gap to win 23-17, led by Gnonsiane Niombla (5 goals) and Grace Zaadi (4).
After these first two qualifying matches, an extremely dense international season awaits the Blues with the World Cup in Japan (November 30 - December 15) and the Olympic Games next summer. Between the two, France will play the rest of its qualifying matches at the Euro, starting with a double confrontation against Croatia in late March 2020.
© 2019 AFP