World Cup (First leg play

The Blues dominated the Czech Republic in the first leg of the World Cup 2027 qualification playoffs (26-37) and are closing in on qualification.

The Blues responded with determination. Not having secured a direct ticket to the World Cup for the first time in 22 years, Talant Dujshebaev’s players gathered this Wednesday in the Czech Republic for the first leg of a crucial playoff round. Facing a team they defeated in January during the European championship, the French team had to be serious on the court in Brno to take a step towards qualifying for the World Cup in Germany next January. And they did just that. Thanks to Aymeric Minne (5 goals) and Drevy Paschal (3 goals), the French team got off to a strong start. The gap between the two teams reached five goals at the end of the first ten minutes with another goal from the left winger from Saint-Raphaël. Boosted by their fans, the Czechs then made a comeback.

The Czechs were shy

They scored two quick goals through Jan Uzek (2 goals) and Tomas Piroch (5 goals). However, they then conceded a 3-0 in less than 90 seconds with Nedim Remili (4 goals) leading the way. Riding on their momentum, the French team built up an eight-goal lead, but towards the end of the first half, they experienced a six-minute scoring drought. On the other side of the court, the Czechs took advantage to score three goals in a row, narrowing the gap to five goals. However, after a save by Romain Mathias against Tomas Piroch, Aymeric Zaepfel (1 goal) gave the French team a lead of six goals at halftime. As soon as the game resumed, Talant Dujshebaev’s proteges struck hard against their opponents.

The Blues in control

With Théo Monar (2 goals) and Thibaud Briet (7 goals) leading the charge, they scored a 5-1 in just over five minutes to reach a ten-goal lead. After a timid response from the Czechs, the Blues continued their onslaught. The gap then fluctuated between ten and eleven goals. This sequence ended at the start of the last ten minutes of the match when Dylan Nahi (3 goals) and Nicolas Tournat (4 goals) concluded a 4-1 run, allowing the French team to widen the gap to a maximum of thirteen goals. A smooth ending to the match, with a final Czech goal by Pavel Choteborsky (2 goals), secured an eleven-goal victory for the Blues (26-37) and put them in a strong position for qualification. However, they will need to confirm this result on Sunday in the return match in Orléans.