Handball: Egypt beat Germany 31-26 to reach Tokyo Olympics Semifinal

Egypt made it to the last four of the Olympic Games for the first time in their history after securing an impressive 31-26 victory over Germany in the quarter-final on Tuesday.

The Pharaohs’ goalkeeper Karim Hendawi once again stole the show as they overwhelmed Germany from the outset, going to the locker room with a 16-12 lead.

Egypt were in command throughout, with their superb defending and Hendawi’s heroics thwarting Germany on many occasions.

Hendawi made 18 saves while Barcelona’s new recruit Ali Zein was Egypt’s top scorer with five goals out of six shots.

Egypt’s previous best was a sixth-place finish at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. They have now become the first African and Arab team to qualify for the semis.

They can now dream of a historic medal as they meet heavyweights France in the semi-final on Thursday.