Morocco handball team prepares for world championship in Egypt

Morocco's men's handball team is preparing for 2021 when it will compete in the Handball World Championship in Egypt, which starts on January 13.

The World Cup draw in Cairo put Morocco in the sixth group comprising the high-quality teams of Iceland, Algeria and Portugal.

Portugal eliminated the French team in the European Nations Championship last year, Iceland has never missed an edition of the World Championship.

"Everyone knows the world championship, it's not easy, it brings together the best European and Asian teams and also African, we are in the group with Iceland and Portugal, everyone knows their strength, we have to be objectified," said Noureddine Bouhaddioui, Moroccan Handball Team Head Coach.

The aim is for Morocco to play and learn as much as possible in Egypt with a view to compete for the title of the 25th edition of the African Nations Championship.

"We have young people born in 2002 who play for the first time in the senior category even that they are still in the junior category," said Lahcen Belimame, Moroccan Handball Team Player.

"So we see a good future for the still young national team, and the technical staff and coaches are based on the experience and also on the young players to have a good team."

The national squad began training on September 20 in Ifrane for a month. More sessions and friendly matches are expected to follow abroad, especially in Turkey.

Morocco took third place at the African Games organized in 2019 in Rabat and won a bronze medal in the African Beach Handball Championship in Cape Verde.

The team qualified for the final phase of the World Championship thanks to its victory against Gabon (31-27) in the African Championship in Tunisia.