World Men’s Handball Championship: Croatia name squad, first match Friday 

(Photo credit: HRS/Croatian Handball Federation)

Croatia has named its squad for the World Men’s Handball Championship which will be held in Egypt from January 13 to 31, 2021. 

Croatia has been preparing for the past 11 days, including victory against Spain in the EHF EURO Cup. Fortunately, major injuries bypassed the national team, just like the coronavirus, and Croatia will travel to Alexandria, where they will play the first round matches, with a stronger team than which started the preparations.

Igor Karačić has joined the national team after passing a medical and star keeper Marin Šego also joins the squad. 

This will be the first Handball Championship with 32 teams instead of 24. The 32 teams are split in eight groups of four teams each. Croatia is in Group C alongside Qatar, Japan and Angola with their fist match on Friday against Japan (6 pm Croatian time).  

Two days later Croatia faces Angola (6 pm Croatian time) before playing their last group match against Qatar on 19 January. 

Croatia has not missed a single world championship and has won one gold (2003), three silver (1995, 2005, 2009), and one bronze (2013).

Croatia squad:

1 MARIN ŠEGO – MONTPELLIER HB

2 IVAN PEŠIĆ – MC MESHKOV BREST

3 MATE ŠUNJIĆ – US IVRY HANDBALL

4 IVAN ČUPIĆ – RK VARDAR 1961

5 ZLATKO HORVAT – RK METALURG SKOPJE

6 MANUEL ŠTRLEK – TELEKOM VESZPREM HC

7 DAVID MANDIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB

8 ŽELJKO MUSA – SC MAGDEBURG

9 MARINO MARIĆ – MT MELSUNGEN

10 ILIJA BROZOVIĆ–TSV HANNOVER-BURGDORF

11 MARIN ŠIPIĆ – RK PPD ZAGREB

12 LUKA CINDRIĆ–BARCA

13 DOMAGOJ DUVNJAK–THW KIEL

14 JANKO KEVIĆ–RK NEXE

15 IGOR KARAČIĆ -LOMZA VIVE KIELCE

16 MARKO MAMIĆ–SCDHFK LEIPZIG

17 HALIL JAGANJAC–RK NEXE

18 JOSIP ŠARAC – RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LAŠKO

19 IVAN MARTINOVIĆ–HCHANNOVER-BURGDORF

20 LUKA ŠEBETIĆ–TREMBLAY EN FRANCE HANDBALL