Hosts Egypt crushed North Macedonia 38-19 in their second World Championship game on Saturday to qualify for the main round with one match to spare in their group. Egypt were dominant from the outset, with Omar El-Wakil, Mohamed Sanad and former Montpellier player Mamdouh Hashem putting on an impressive display in the first half. Keeper Karim Hendawi also pulled off a string of impressive saves to keep Macedonia at bay, although 40-year-old skipper Kiril Lazarov unsettled him with some powerful long-range shots. Egypt led 20-6 at halftime before widening the gap in the second half after another dominant performance, with Ahmed Hesham, Hassan Kaddah and keeper Essam El-Tayyar stealing the show. Kaddah was named man of the match. "We were very focused from the very beginning and we became confident after securing a big lead in the first half," Kaddah told OnTime Sports after the match. The Pharaohs top Group G with maximum four points, two ahead of European heavyweights Sweden, who will face Chile later in the day. North Macedonia, who replaced Czech Republic after they withdrew from the tournament due to a coronavirus outbreak, lie at the bottom with no points. Egypt next face Sweden in their final group match on Monday. The top three advance to the main round. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
