Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina secured commanding victories in the first leg of the European Qualification – Phase 2 for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship on Wednesday, positioning themselves strongly for advancement to the next stage. Several other ties proved more closely contested, setting the stage for potentially dramatic second legs this weekend.
Line player Dragan Pechmalbec spearheaded Serbia’s dominant performance against Lithuania, scoring 10 goals in a 42-25 win. The Serbians established a significant lead early, entering halftime with a 21-12 advantage, a cushion they extended throughout the second half. Goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev contributed significantly with 21 saves, achieving a 45% saving efficiency. Serbia will now face Hungary in the European Qualification – Phase 3, according to the International Handball Federation.
Bosnia Herzegovina also delivered a decisive victory, defeating Kosovo 34-21. A strong second-half showing, limiting Kosovo to just eight goals in the final 30 minutes, propelled Bosnia Herzegovina to a comfortable lead. Goalkeeper Zoran Radic recorded 13 saves for a 50% saving efficiency, while Mislav Grgic led the scoring with eight goals, contributing to a team shooting percentage of 72%.
Poland also took a significant step towards qualification, defeating Latvia 33-24, despite playing a depleted squad. Latvia was without star player Dainis Kristopans. Romania overcame Türkiye 37-32, despite suffering further injuries during the match, necessitating emergency call-ups for the second leg scheduled for Sunday in Buzău. Montenegro secured a 36-32 win against Finland, with Luka Radović, Radojica Čepić and Branko Vujović combining for 25 goals.
Three matches concluded with narrow margins of three goals or less, promising tense second legs. Greece edged past Belgium 29-26, despite a strong start to the second half by the Belgians, who briefly took a three-goal lead with a 6-0 run. Achilleas Toskas scored eight goals for Greece, but the second leg in Belgium on Saturday is expected to be closely fought, with Greece needing to contain Raphaël Kotters, who scored 13 goals for Belgium.
Slovakia defeated Ukraine 27-24, aiming to return to the IHF Men’s World Championship for the first time since 2011. The outcome of the away leg in Povaszka Bystrica will determine which team advances to face North Macedonia in Phase 3 of the European Qualifiers. In a surprising result, Israel defeated Georgia 32-29, despite an early lead from the hosts. Georgia, missing key players, struggled to maintain their performance, despite 12 goals from right back Giorgi Tskhovrebadze. Georgia will need to overcome this deficit on their home court in Telavi to progress, where the winner will face Spain.
The second legs of these qualifying matches are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with the victors advancing to the next phase of European qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship.
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