Uzbekistan and Egypt secured their first victories at the 2026 IHF Women’s Under-16 World Championship in Morocco, defeating Mexico and Switzerland after losing their opening matches.
Uzbekistan beat Mexico 40–30 in Group C after establishing a 21–17 lead at half-time. The team had previously lost 41–38 to Tunisia, making the victory important for its position in the group.
Goalkeeper Rukhshona Mansurova made nine saves after entering in the second half, recording a saving efficiency of 69 per cent. Her performance helped Uzbekistan maintain its advantage as Mexico struggled to close the gap.
The result gave Uzbekistan two points ahead of its final group match against Germany. Mexico remained without a win and was scheduled to face Tunisia.
In Group D, Egypt defeated Switzerland 29–28 after the teams finished the first half level at 14–14. A decisive 6–1 run between the 33rd and 42nd minutes helped Egypt establish a 21–18 lead, its first three-goal advantage of the contest.
Jana Mohamed led Egypt’s scoring with seven goals. Mariem Abdelhalim and Rodaina Shalaby also contributed, while Switzerland’s Svea Lehmann scored five times.
Switzerland had an opportunity to salvage a point at the final whistle, but Nina Hasler missed a penalty. The narrow defeat left the team level on points with Egypt in Group D.
Egypt’s win followed its opening loss to Russia and improved its prospects of finishing among the tournament’s top ten. Its next match is against Argentina, while Switzerland faces Russia. The final group fixtures will determine the teams’ standings.
