Handball Dragons open Euro qualifiers with a loss in Iceland

(Patria) - The BiH handball team opened the qualifiers for the European Championship, which will be played in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in 2026, with a loss.

The Dragons visited favored Iceland, and the hosts won 32:26, writes Faktor.

The hosts' triumph is also attributed to the referees from Belgium and the Netherlands, who, with several questionable decisions against BiH, paved the way for the Icelanders to win.

We started the match poorly, missing three opening attacks, and the Icelanders took advantage, holding a three-goal lead after eight minutes of play (4:1).

However, this did not discourage Damir Doborac's squad, who soon caught up and reduced the deficit to one goal.

In the 25th minute, we took our first lead – 11:10, but the first half ended in a draw – 12:12.

We missed the first attack of the second half, the Icelanders scored for 13:12, but shortly after, with a 3:0 run, we took a two-goal lead for the first time (17:15).

The hosts quickly brought the game back to an equal score, which guaranteed us an uncertain finish.

In the 48th minute, at a score of 21:21, Senjamin Burić received a direct red card, which could be considered the key moment of the match. The Icelanders soon established a significant lead (28:23 in the 57th minute).

By the end of the match, the hosts managed to maintain their lead and secure the victory.

Credit must be given to the Dragons for matching their favored opponent until the referees intervened...

The Dragons' next match is on November 10th at 7 PM against Greece.