Cairo (AFP)

The medal is in sight: out of the fog, the French handball team can reach its first final of a major meeting since 2017 in the event of victory over the new Swedish generation on Friday (5.30 p.m.) in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Cairo.

When Guillaume Gille, the day after a second unsuccessful match against Serbia (26-26) on January 9 before the kick-off of the World Cup-2021, was asked about the French objectives for the Egyptian campaign, the coach had wrapped his response in several layers of measurement: "to be able to claim to fight for the distribution of the medals".

"It is permissible and authorized to dream," Gille added.

Three weeks later, the Blues dream more than ever, present at the meeting of the semi-finals as for 30 years now, exceptions made in 1999 and 2013, when they had stopped in the quarterfinals.

A year after the poor elimination in the first round of the Euro and the ousting of coach Didier Dinart, replaced by his deputy Gille, the France team has recovered nicely by rallying the last four with seven wins in as many matches .

With impeccable performances against Norway (28-24) or Portugal (32-23), or in pain like Wednesday in quarterfinals against Hungary (35-32 after extra time).

"If at the start of the competition, we had been told that we would qualify for the semi-finals, we would have signed immediately," commented Ludovic Fabregas hot.

"We must not forget that we come from hat 3, we may be the team a little surprised."

- Favorites by experience -

From there, the paradox: if France is the only team of the final square not seeded on the starting line, it will be the favorite against a young and inexperienced Swedish team.

Lucas Pellas (25), Alfred Jönsson (22) or Valter Chrintz (20) have never seen an international podium before and the contrast will be striking with the nine gold medals around the neck of Michaël Guigou, 39 years old. this Thursday and savior of the Blues in the first period (6 goals) against the Magyars.

The collective did the rest at the end of the match, and this is what makes, after the experience, "the strength of our team: everyone is able to make a difference," said the left winger.

"We have a bench that maybe no one - other than Spain or Denmark - has, in terms of rotation."

Another strong point, underlined by Dika Mem: the eight French goals scored in rapid attack, against only four for the Hungarians.

"The rise of the ball, all those easy little goals, that must be our strength," insisted the right-back.

- Forget 2018 and 2019 -

However, this penultimate step still has all of a new trap.

Especially if the gunner Timothey N'Guessan (adductors) and the boss of the defense Luka Karabatic (abdominals) are missing as the staff fear.

If its new coach Glenn Solberg has deeply rejuvenated it, the Swedish team has with its goalkeeper Andreas Palinka, its left winger Hampus Wanne, the center-half Jim Gottfridsson and the pivot Max Darj some experienced players, vice-champions of 'Europe in 2018.

A year after their last world coronation at Bercy, this Euro marked the beginning of the decline of the French, dominated in the semifinals by Spain (27-23).

At the 2019 World Cup in Denmark, they had stalled at the same stage, outclassed by the host country (38-30) and future champion.

"Two years and three years ago, we made the last four and each time, we took a volley in the semi-final", warns Valentin Porte.

"Now, I would like us to be able to move up a gear and find that grinta on a semi-final to go for a final, something that has not been done for a very long time."

"Very long" on a French scale, that is to say four years.

An eternity for a team that had gotten used to winning everything (4 Worlds, 3 Euros and 2 Olympic Games) in the space of a decade (2006-2017).

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