Luka Karabatic’s Last-Gasp Goal Sends France Past Egypt in Thriller

ZAGREB – A dramatic buzzer-beater from Luka Karabatic sealed France’s 34:33 victory over Egypt in the quarter-finals of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship in Zagreb, sending the reigning Olympic champions into yet another semi-final.

The match, which saw relentless back-and-forth action, was decided in the final seconds when Karabatic fired in a shot with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock. The video replay confirmed the goal, ensuring France’s place among the world’s top four for the sixth consecutive tournament.

France’s Unyielding Streak Continues

With this win, France maintains its remarkable record in world championships, having reached the semi-finals in every edition since 2015 except for one. Their podium finishes over the past decade (2015: 1st, 2017: 1st, 2019: 3rd, 2021: 4th, 2023: 2nd) reflect their dominance in the sport.

Meanwhile, Egypt secured a fourth consecutive top-eight finish (2019: 8th, 2021: 7th, 2023: 7th) but fell short of their best-ever placement, fourth in 2001. Despite their valiant performance, they will have to wait two more years to challenge for a semi-final spot once again.

Match Overview: A Game of Momentum Swings

Guillaume Gille’s squad entered the match on a seven-game winning streak, boosted by the return of line player Ludovic Fabregas. Egypt’s head coach, Juan Carlos Pastor, also welcomed back Ahmed Hesham, though he played with heavy strapping on his leg.

France had a blistering start, racing to a 4:1 lead within the first six minutes. Egypt, however, showed resilience and clawed back to level the game at 5:5 by the 14th minute.

Both sides traded blows in a high-tempo first half, but France managed to pull away just before halftime, capitalizing on a scoring drought from Egypt in the final five minutes to take a 14:10 lead into the break.

The second half saw France extend their advantage to five goals, but Egypt refused to back down. With their goalkeepers making crucial saves, the African champions fought back, equalizing at 24:24 in the 43rd minute.

France then adjusted their defense, deploying a seven-on-six attack to regain control, but the game remained on a knife’s edge.

Final Seconds Drama

As the clock wound down, Egypt’s Ahmed Hesham unleashed a long-distance shot to make it 32:32 with just over a minute remaining. France responded immediately as Nedim Remili powered through the Egyptian defense to restore his team’s lead at 33:32 with 30 seconds to go.

Egypt’s Yahia Omar then delivered a clutch goal, bouncing the ball off the line and into the net, appearing to send the game to extra time.

However, in a moment of quick thinking, France goalkeeper Remi Desbonnet retrieved the ball, launched it forward to Karabatic, who fired in a rocket shot as the buzzer sounded.

A tense video review confirmed the goal, sparking celebrations from the French bench and heartbreak for Egypt.

France now advances to the semi-finals, continuing their quest for another world title, while Egypt exits with yet another valiant but ultimately frustrating top-eight finish.

 

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members