Oran – The Algerian national U17 women’s handball team defeated Zambia 39-16 (first half 25-10) on Thursday evening at the Miloud Hadefi Sports Complex in Oran, in the fourth round of Group B in the 21st edition of the African Nations Championship for this age category.
The Algerian players imposed their rhythm from the start of the match, finishing the first half with a 15-goal lead (25-10). In the second half, Maria Ben Fleis’s teammates maintained the same pace and strengthened their offensive performance to widen the gap and win 39-16.
Assistant national coach Souhail Belbchir told the press after the match: “We succeeded in winning this relatively easy game to stay in the competition. We will do our best to win tomorrow’s match against Guinea to qualify for the semi-finals.”
Meanwhile, Algerian national team player Leletsa Lahleh said: “I am completely satisfied with this victory, especially as it keeps our hopes alive in the tournament. We will strive to win on Friday to reach the semi-finals.”
In another Group B match in the same round, Egypt, already qualified, defeated Guinea 24-20, while Burkina Faso was exempted from playing this round.
From this first stage of the African tournament, which runs until September 21, the top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals, while the other teams play classification matches.
Group B standings after the fourth round:
| Rank | Team | Points | Matches Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | 8 | 4 |
| 2 | Guinea | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | Algeria | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | Burkina Faso | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Zambia | 0 | 3 |
