Handball national coach Alfred Gislason has named his squad for the first international matches since winning the European Championship silver medal. Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff is not there.
The THW Kiel goalkeeper will be given time off for the two home games against African champions Egypt in March. Gislason nominated a total of 17 players around captain Johannes Golla, 15 of whom were at the successful European Championships at the beginning of the year.
Freihöfer replaces Dahmke
Wolff, who made it into the all-star team at the European Championships, “vacates his place in March to allow David Späth and debutant Lasse Ludwig to play”said the DHB announcement. In addition, Tim Freihöfer from Füchse Berlin, who missed the European Championship, replaces Kiel veteran Rune Dahmke on the left wing. Freihöfer’s Füchse colleague Nils Lichtlein stands for this “Current squad not available”.
Gislason: “Adjust nuances”
“Compared to the European Championship, we are only adjusting nuances. The core of our national team has grown and must continue to mature together. We will use every opportunity to do this on the way to the home World Cup,” Gislason said. Egypt follows World and European champions Denmark and top team France “The greatest pressure comes from the backcourt. These games will challenge us.”
Start of preparation for the home World Cup
The first duel on March 19th (6:15 p.m.) in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle takes place exactly 300 days before the opening game of the home World Cup on January 13th, 2027. “We’re starting to prepare for the home World Cup. From now on, everything we do will have an impact on next January.”said DHB sports director Ingo Meckes. The second meeting with the Egyptians will take place three days later (March 22nd/3:30 p.m.) in the Bremen Arena.
U19 world champion Rasmus Ankermann there
U19 world champion Rasmus Ankermann is also traveling to Dortmund as a training guest for the course. “Getting to know each other at an early stage is valuable for Rasmus and us and is part of the conceptual work”said Meckes. Goalkeeper Ludwig had also been a training guest with the A team in the run-up to the European Championships and is now looking forward to his first international match.
The line-up at a glance
Goal: David Späth (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), Lasse Ludwig (Füchse Berlin)
Field: Tim Freihöfer (Füchse Berlin), Lukas Mertens (SC Magdeburg), Matthes Langhoff (Füchse Berlin), Miro Schluroff (VfL Gummersbach), Marko Grgic (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Juri Knorr (Aalborg Handbold/Denmark), Julian Köster (VfL Gummersbach), Renars Uscins (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf), Franz Semper (SC DHfK Leipzig), Lukas Zerbe (THW Kiel), Mathis Häseler (VfL Gummersbach), Tom Kiesler (VfL Gummersbach), Johannes Golla (SG Flensburg-Handewitt), Justus Fischer (TSV Hannover-Burgdorf), Jannik Kohlbacher (Rhein-Neckar Löwen).
