Egypt suffers Spain defeat

Egypt are fighting for their Handball World Cup future Cairo - Hossam Al Said Egypt failed to recover from its disappointing start in the Handball World Cup after suffering a 29-24 defeat against host nation Spain. The Pharaohs showed glimpses of quality against the favourites in Madrid, but fell short after falling behind 16-11 at half-time. In the second half, Egypt pushed forward and closed the gap to just three points at 23-20, but Spain sealed the win in a frantic ending. Assem Daoud's men started the match with positive intent, looking to bounce back from their disappointing 32-23 defeat against Hungary in Group D on Saturday. The opening exchanges were cagey as Mohamed Hesham Sand and Ibrahim al-Masri scored crucial goals to leave the teams tied on 4-4. The Pharaohs regained the lead in the tenth minute, but the Matadors equalised instantly and then secured a narrow 6-5 lead. Egypt's Ahmed al-Ahmar levelled the match again, before Spain took control of the game to open up an 14-8 lead. Spain began the second half with a 16-11 advantage, and although Egypt narrowed the gap, their performance significantly declined with the hosts making it 28-20 in the closing stages. Towards the end, Egypt launched a final flurry of attacks but Spain held on for a 29-24 victory. Back-to-back defeats mean the Pharaohs now face a must-win match against Algeria on Tuesday, if they are to qualify for the knock out stages. The first four teams in each group will qualify for the next round.