JERUSALEM, April 27 (silubaba) -- Iceland secured a spot in the 2024 European Men's Handball Championship after achieving a 37-26 away win against Israel on Thursday evening.
The first half of the match, played at the Shlomo Group Arena in Tel Aviv, was dominated by the visitors, mainly due to goals by Janus Smarason and Kristjan Kristjansson, leading to a 19-11 advantage at halftime.
Sigvaldi Guojonsson and Elvar Jonsson inspired the visitors to increase the margin in the second half.
Kristjansson scored a game-high eight goals, while his teammates Guojonsson, Jonsson, and Teitur Einarsson contributed five goals each. Snir Natsia scored seven goals for Israel.
With one matchday remaining in the four-team Group 3 of the qualifiers, Iceland and the Czech Republic, who defeated Estonia 32-30, secured the top two spots leading to the final tournament in Germany in January 2024, both with a 4-1 win-loss record.
Estonia and Israel, each with a 1-4 record, still have a slim chance of qualifying through third place, with the best four third-placed finishers in eight groups reaching the Euro competition.
In the closing matchday on Sunday, the Czech Republic will host Israel, while Iceland will play against Estonia. ■
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