The French women’s team stammered its handball for its entry into the World Cup but provided the essentials by overcoming Angola (30-29) despite a big scare at the end of the match, Thursday in Stavanger in Norway .
Les Bleues join Slovenia (2 pts) at the top of group D and will qualify for the second round if they succeed against Iceland on Saturday. They will probably only remember this accounting aspect after coming close to a draw against the African champion, limited despite some qualities on the back base.
While they were leading by five goals (27-22) 10 minutes from the end after a 3-0 inflicted on the Angolans, they botched their handball to end up being caught (28-28) just under two minutes from the end.
Olympic goal
Salvation came first from Laura Flippes who restored a goal lead (30-29) 25 seconds from the siren, before Isabel Guialo missed, at the last second and while the Angolans were playing with two moreover, the ball of the equalizer.
The reigning Olympic champions, although convincing in preparation against Senegal (32-19) and South Korea (36-19), also sometimes lost the thread alone, borrowed in their placed attacks, a project launched by the coach with a view to the Olympic Games in Paris next summer.
Their traditional strong point, counterattacking, worked better once they changed defense to go for a flat 6-0.
But then they missed numerous duels against goalkeeper Marta Alberto. Including one, crucial, by Coralie Lassource who, while France was in numerical superiority, missed the ball on the counter-attack which would probably have put them away (28-27), less than three minutes from the end .
Last three minutes in apnea at the end of which the Blue were nevertheless able to breathe. Not to be repeated.