The Czech handball players lost in the World Cup qualifier rematch in North Macedonia after the fight at 25:27 and did not qualify for the January championship. Wednesday’s opener in Zlín ended in a 24:24 draw. The representatives composed the whole match in Skopje, and in the end they were not helped by several excellent interventions from goalkeeper Tomáš Mrkva.
The Czech team failed to reimburse North Macedonia for their elimination in the playoffs six years ago. The national team will drag on once again awaiting participation in the world championship, where it last appeared in 2015 in Qatar. Spanish coach Xavier Sabaté did not win the first matches on the bench of the Czech national team, where he replaced Rastislav Trtík after the Euros in January.
The Czech side lost up to seven goals in Wednesday’s home game but eventually won a draw which really kept them in the promotion game. Sabbat’s charges drew nearly seven thousand spectators to Skopje in retaliation against the stormy backdrop of the start. In the seventh minute, Čip adjusted the score to 4:2 for the guests, but the Macedonians reacted with a five-goal goal and didn’t let go of the lead.
The Czech team had to tighten constantly in the rest of the course and went to the cabins with a loss of 12:14. After 10 minutes of the second act, the Macedonians, who had taken 22nd place in the Euros in January, bounced back at 8:16 p.m. and the Sabbats took a break. His charges were then reduced to a difference of two goals and thanks to the interventions of goalkeeper Mrkva, they still “fed” the hope of equalizing.
The guests did not change a few clear chances, but in the end they attacked a draw, which would be enough for them to advance with a higher number of goals scored than at home. In the 57th minute, the Czechs defended in weakness at 25:24 for the home team, but they did not stop the next attack. Taleski increased the lead to two goals after the timeout, and even though Babák reduced it, Kuzmanovski had the last laugh on the seven-yard throw. The game’s top scorer scored nine goals.
The World Cup in Poland and Sweden will take place on July 2 in Katowice. The Czech team will not play the second major event in a row. This does not follow January’s performance at the European Championships, where Sweden and Spain tormented the last core group finalists.
Handball World Championship qualifying match in Skopje:
North Macedonia – Czech Republic 27:25 (14:12)
Squad and goals Czech Republic: Mrkva, Mizera – Hrstka 5, Piroch 5, Choleva, Kašpárek 2, Babák 4, Číp 1, Petrovský 1, Vančo, Havran, Klíma 1, V. Patzel 4, Užek 1, Zeman 1, Franc.
Number of Macedonian goals: Kuzmanovski 9, Taleski 6. Referee: Santos, Fonseca (Portuguese). Throws from 7 meters: 6/5 – 3/3. Penalty: 5:3. Attendance: 6963 (sold out). First match: 24:24, Macedonia advanced.
