Cuban-born Rafael Capote's 12 goals helped hosts Qatar pull off a major shock at the Men’s World Handball championships on Monday when they defeated highly-fancied Slovenia 31-29 to virtually assure themselves of a place in the last 16 place.
In a pulsating and physical encounter, the Qataris held on in a tense final few minutes, to spark wild celebrations at the end of the game.
The victory means Qatar, joined world champions Spain at the top of Group A with three wins out of three, and the tournament’s hosts may now set their ambitions higher than a last 16 berth after defeating a Slovenia team which reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup.
The game’s star was Capote whose tally included a crucial goal with less than two minutes remaining to give Qatar a slender two goal advantage.
Capote even outshone Slovenia’s Dragan Gajic, the tournament’s leading scorer coming into this game, but who was restricted to just three this time out.
Qatar began confidently, taking an early lead but had been pegged back by a slow-starting Slovenia in the 13th minute, who led 8-7.
But any thoughts that the Europeans might run away with the game were quickly dispelled with goals for the host team from Capote and Kamalaldin Mallash, who ended up scoring seven times, to give Qatar an 18-15 lead at the break.
It was an advantage the Qataris were able to hold onto throughout the second half, but their nerves were tested with just five minutes left when Slovenia levelled despite having a player in the sin bin with Tomaz Dolenec scoring twice in as many minutes to make it 28-28.
However, a goal from Montenegro-born Zarko Markovic, one of several foreign-born players in the Qatari side, and Capote’s final goal gave the hosts breathing space.
A final goal from Mahmoud Hassab Alla secured a 31-29 victory prompting huge celebrations among the team and fans at the Lusail Multisports Hall, a gleaming 15,000 stadium north of the capital Doha specially built for the tournament.
In Group A's other games on Monday, Spain breezed past Chile 37-16 and Brazil kept their slender hopes alive with a 34-29 win over Belarus.
Spain and Qatar have six points, Slovenia four from their three games.
Also on Monday, in Group B, Croatia smashed Iran 41-22 and Macedonia narrowly beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 25-22.
Croatia and Macedonia both have three victories from three games and play each other next.
Source: AFP