Thriller between Schaffhausen and Nîmes ends in a draw

A thriller: That is what the spectators witnessed in the BBC arena in Schaffhausen. Both the hosts and the visitors had their best moments in the game.

Schaffhausen were better in the first half, yet Nîmes cruised away at some point in the second, and it was down to Michaël Guigou to decide the fate of the game. The 40-year-old Nîmes winger did not miss his last attempt, giving the visitors a well-deserved point in the end.

GROUP D :

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SWI) vs USAM Nîmes Gard (FRA) 25:25 (15:13)

• The hosts were in control during the first half, with Samuel Zehnder scoring five in the first thirty minutes of the game to help Schaffhausen be on top on the scoreboard at the break.
• Nîmes turned things around after half-time, with Theodor Paul pulling out some saves to help his team be three goals on top at the 36th minute.
• The game was decided in the final seconds, though. Luka Marros might have thought he gave the points to the hosts, but that was before Zoran Markovic was given a red-card and Michaël Guigou converted the last seven-meter throw to make the score even in the end.
• USAM Nîmes remain on top of the group with five points while Schaffhausen are fifth with two points.

Michaël Guigou, the cold-blooded scorer

Usually, Mohammad Sanad takes charge at the seven-meter line for Nîmes. But tonight, the Egyptian right-winger missed twice early in the game, and it was down to the Olympic champion to convert those opportunities. In the crazy end of the game, Guigou had the chance to make the score even to help Nîmes take back a point to their trip to Switzerland. And his hand did not shake: a quick fake, then a shot that left no chance to the goalkeeper. This was definitely a cold-blooded gesture from the 40-year-old.