Extra time was needed to separate the sides in our first men’s quarter-final in Paris as Spain prevailed 29:28 in a game they trailed until it mattered most.
With revenge for the Tokyo bronze medal match on their minds and a semi-final at stake, Egypt were not short of motivation.
Spain’s Olympic campaign hasn’t been much to write home about yet, but having ground out a win over Croatia, they practically had a knockout match under their belts and this stage of the championships is always when they find another gear.
A 5:4 lead in the 14th minute is the only time in 60 minutes that Spain would have their noses in front. Egypt took control and made it count with a 12:8 lead at half-time.
Biding their time
With Yahia Omar going 0 for 3 early doors, Egypt went for an all-right-handed back court, which slowly but surely began to take its toll.
Spain shifted things tactically, going 5-1 in defence and 7vs6 in attack, to work their way back into the game and finally drawing themselves level with two minutes left to play, led by Ian Tarrafeta and Alex Dujshebaev, while Aleix Gomez’s shooting was flawless.
Extra time was an incredibly nervy affair, which will be remembered mostly for both sides trying and succeeding to get suspensions from the referees.
The cagey affair went right down to the final seconds with Egypt needing an equaliser, Gonzalo Perez de Vargas stepped up for the Spaniards, first denying Seif El-Deraa from point-blank range, then a long-range shot from Ahmed Hesham – desperately getting his attempt away after a loose ball with three seconds to spare.
Spain do it again. Another rabbit out of the hat from these tournament handball experts, dumping Egypt out of Paris 2024 in a result that will hurt for a long time.