A fourth place gained at France 2001 remains Egypt’s best-ever ranking at an IHF Men’s World Championship, but with two seventh-placed rankings in the last two editions (2021, 2023), the African champions could be set to equal or surpass that at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025.

At Poland/Sweden 2023 under former coach Roberto Parrondo, Egypt lost to Sweden (22:26) in the quarter-finals after impressing earlier on in the competition with wins over their 2025 preliminary group opponents Croatia (31:22 preliminary) and Bahrain (26:22 main round) 

But it is their 3:4 shoot-out loss to Denmark in the quarter-final of the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, held during the Covid lockdown which showcases just what Egypt are capable of. Parrando’s side had opportunities to win but, in the end, lost to the eventual champions in a modern-day classic. 

In 2025, a different Spanish coach is leading the Egyptians, this time, Juan Carlos Pastor, who took over from Parrando shortly after the 2023 world championship and a coach who delivered the first-ever gold medal for Spain at an IHF Men’s World Championship in 2005.

His first CAHB Men’s African Championship ended with gold on home soil in Cairo in January 2024 as his side won all six games (Guinea, Congo, Cameroon, Angola, Tunisia and Algeria 29:21 in the final) on their way to gold. 

In July and August, Pastor and his Egypt side impressed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, coming close to the podium, but losing to Spain in the quarter-finals (28:29) after extra time. On their way to the last eight they beat Hungary (35:32), Norway (26:25) and 2025 group opponents Argentina (34:27), drew with France (26:26) and lost, again, to Denmark (27:30).

Egypt have a galaxy of talent at their disposal, easily highlighted by those who made the All-Star CAHB Men’s African Championship team – left back Yehia El-Deraa, left wing Ahmed Nafea, right wing Mohamed Sanad and MVP – and right back – Yahia Omar.

But one key name in that All-star Team – El-Deraa – will be missing for Pastor as the back player injured his ACL for club side Veszprem last October and will miss the rest of the season. Mohab Abdelhak will also be missing after undergoing surgery in December after suffering a foot fracture playing for his club, Nimes, in France, plus Hassan Kaddah is nursing a long-term injury.

To prepare for Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025, Egypt, led by captain Ibrahim Elmasry, started with a double-headed friendly against Japan, played in November in Cairo, with the Egyptians winning both (31:28, 33:23).

This will be followed with a friendly tournament in Spain in early January (8 to 11) including Slovakia, Spain, Norway, Argentina and Romania, where they will face Norway and Romania initially. They will head to Croatia on 12 January.

Coach: Juan Carlos Pastor

Key players: Yahia Omar (right back), Mohamed Sanad (right wing), Ali Zein (left back), Ahmed Hesham (back), Ahmed Adel (line player), Ibrahim Elmasry (line player)

Qualification for Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025: 2024 CAHB Men’s African Championship – 1st

History in the competition: 1964: 14th, 1993: 12th, 1995: 6th, 1997: 6th, 1999: 7th, 2001: 4th, 2003: 15th, 2005: 14th, 2007: 17th, 2009: 14th, 2011: 14th, 2013: 16th, 2015: 14th, 2017: 13th, 2019: 8th, 2021: 7th, 2023: 7th

Group at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025: Group H (Argentina, Bahrain, Croatia, Egypt)