The French handball players, Olympic champions in Tokyo a little over four months ago, climbed to the final of the 2021 World Cup on Friday, December 17, after a beautiful semi-final full of suspense against Denmark (23-22) and find themselves in a match of an exceptional double.

Coralie Lassource's teammates will face Norway, European champion last year, or the Spaniards, vice-world champions in 2019, who compete in the evening (8:30 p.m.) on Sunday afternoon. second ticket to the final.

In a very complicated meeting against a Scandinavian defense very well in place, the Bleues made the entire first period behind in the score, penalized by ball losses (ten in the first thirty minutes) and a failed attack on Althéa Reinhardt, the Danish goalkeeper.

The match promised to be very closed between two teams who know each other by heart and who are known for their defensive strength.

The Danes of Jesper Jensen were looking for the key to enter the impermeable French defense, they found some breaches in the blue wall in the first period, to lead 12-10 at the break.

Sixth final for the Blue since 1999

With only two goals in the locker room, the French came out with less difficulty, thanks to the saves of Laura Glauser, in particular a penalty in the 30th minute which could have hurt the morale of the French.

The loud announcer of the Granollers sports hall may have passed "I will survive" just before the start of the second half, the French continued to stumble on Althea Reinhardt.

It was in the last quarter of an hour, when the French had badly negotiated a double numerical superiority, that Estelle Nze Minko, Pauletta Foppa and Grâce Zaadi allowed the Blue to reverse the trend.

>> See also: In pictures: all the French medals from the Tokyo Olympics

And after the failures of Pineau (penalty), Nocandy and Valentini who all three stumbled on Sandra Toft, the second Danish goalkeeper, it was finally the Brestoise Alicia Toublanc, on her right wing, who gave the advantage to the 'started the last five minutes (22-21), so as not to let the Danes come back in front.

Cleopatra Darleux, coming into play for the second half, defeated Pedersen and sealed the victory at the end of the suspense.

France thus remains unbeaten in the semi-finals of the World Cup, and will experience a sixth final after 1999 (silver), 2003 (gold), 2009 (silver), 2011 (silver), and 2017 (gold).

The players of Olivier Krumbholz maintain with this success the hope of achieving an international double in the space of four months after an Olympic coronation, which only the Danes (1996) and the Norwegians (2008) have managed to achieve in the past. (a JO-Euro double at the time).

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR