City of October 6 (Egypt) (AFP)

Moribund at Euro-2020, the French men's handball team ideally launched its World Cup in Egypt with a 28-24 success over Norway, vice-world champion, Thursday in the suburbs of Cairo.

The Blues have found color, and certainties.

It was the shock of the first round, and it turned to the advantage of the French, who take control of group E ahead of Switzerland, victorious (28-25) of Austria 2 days after learning that she would replace the United States, decimated by the Covid-19.

The Blues did not experience the same emotional lift as their future Swiss opponent, but they showed a completely different face than during the two matches against Serbia, qualifying for Euro-2022 and which they did not have managed to win (27-24, 26-26) the previous week.

Sander Sagosen was expected: the Norwegian star has certainly scored as much (10 goals) as in the last match between the two nations, at Euro-2020, which sealed the elimination of the Blues and led to the fall of coach Didier Dinart, but she did not reign as with Kiel during the last Final Four of the Champions League.

Rather, we saw two men, and the French.

Kentin Mahé (9 goals), installed as playmaker in the absence of Nikola Karabatic, victim of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee, started the match with a bang with 4 goals in the first 5 minutes.

His kung fu 10 minutes from the end of the match has buried the last Norwegian hopes.

Two minutes later, the French had taken off (25-20).

In the same first 5 minutes, Wesley Pardin, chosen as goalkeeper in place of captain Vincent Gérard, had already agreed with the coach Guillaume Gille who had just taken him out of the hat: 3 entry stops to cool the ardor of the gang to Sander Sagosen.

It has long familiarized with 50% stoppages.

Norway, who came to Egypt to win a first title after two failures in the final, did not give up, gluing back after 12 minutes of play (7-7) then just at half-time (13-13) after a missed shot from Romain Lagarde.

But she never managed to take the advantage over convincing Blues.

The Blues have definitely gained the upper hand after the break.

Mahé, after sneaking around on the left, took the advantage to +3 (18-15, 41st).

Norway got back together one last time (18-18) but winger Hugo Descat, for his first match in a major tournament, brought his share (4 goals in total) to give the Blues a 3-goal lead (21- 18, 48e).

The French will no longer be joined, and they can now aim for the quarter-finals with newfound certainties.

© 2021 AFP