Now it’s time: With two test games against African champions Egypt, Germany’s handball players are starting the countdown for the home European Championship – and they want to arouse anticipation despite personnel problems.
Prominent cancellations? Too many injured? Hardly any time left until the home European Championships? Alfred Gislason makes no excuses before Germany’s handball players’ friendly double against African champions Egypt.
“We want to do everything we can to win these games”said the national coach. There will hardly be any experiments against the Olympic fourth-place finisher. Because the result works for Gislason despite all the adversities and the many personnel question marks “a major role”. If possible, success should spark anticipation for the European Championship in the country.
Goalkeeper Wolff before his comeback in the DHB team
Two months before the home tournament, the German team around captain Johannes Golla wants to play in the last international matches of the year “present very well”. Even if the games today in Neu-Ulm (November 3rd, 2023, from 6:30 p.m. in the live ticker at the Sportschau) and Sunday (5:15 p.m.) in Munich are officially declared as test games, the team needs it, according to Gislason “Now trust in yourself. We want to get the best out of our current possibilities.”
Ideally, Andreas Wolff should also help with this. The regular goalkeeper, who along with Golla is one of the great German hopes for the upcoming European Championships (January 10th to 28th, 2024), is about to make his comeback against Egypt after more than two months out due to injury (herniated disc). “There’s nothing standing in the way of him being there live. We’ll have to wait and see whether he’ll play now.”said assistant coach Erik Wudtke, but spoke of one “Very positive outcome for Andi”.
Germany’s young players in focus
In addition to Wolff, after the many rejections, the focus is primarily on the young players. Four players who were crowned world champions with the DHB juniors in the summer are taking part in the current course – goalkeeper David Späth and the two backcourt players Renars Uscins and Nils Lichtlein, three of them will probably also be used and will receive their European Championships with Gislason. Submit application.
In addition, playmaker Juri Knorr and defense specialist Julian Köster, both only 23 years old, want to prove their class and their claim to leadership under difficult conditions. And the defensively versatile left winger Tim Nothdurft, the third possible international debutant alongside Späth and Lichtlein, could also jump on the European Championship bandwagon.
“We’re trying to progress at the base, but also to get the new players in and incorporate their strengths into our team.”said Captain Golla, while Axel Kromer warned of a team “which will demand a lot from us.”
Like Gislason, the DHB sports director emphasized the sporting significance of the game against the North Africans: “It’s also important that we want to play for results and performance.” The European Championship opening game against Switzerland on January 10, 2024 in the Düsseldorf football stadium has long been shimmering on the horizon.
German women against Hungary on Sunday
The second test against Egypt takes place on Sunday on “Handball Day”. The German women will then play the last test against Hungary before the World Cup (November 29th to December 17th) in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.