Group H:
Norway Leads Three-Continent Battle for Main Round Spots
The final group in our series on the 2025 World Championship group stage is Group H , which will play its matches in the Trier Arena . Four teams, from three continents, will fight for three spots in the Main R ound. Norway and South Korea , two long-time rivals, meet again on the world stage, while Angola and Kazakhstan complete the group. On paper the hierarchy seems clear, but reality promises a tight and exciting battle.
Norway vs the Republic of Korea: A long-standing rivalry
Norway and the Republic of Korea share a rich history, especially at the Olympic Games, where they have often faced each other with medals on the line. In Barcelona 1992, the Republic of Korea became Olympic champions after a 28–21 win over Norway. Norway got their revenge with a 22–21 victory in the bronze-medal match in Sydney 2000 and a 29–28 win in the Semi Finals in Beijing 2008.
In recent years, however, Norway has clearly taken control. Against their Asian opponents, they have won 12 of 19 meetings, while the Republic of Korea collected 6 victories. At the 2019 World Championship in Japan, Norway won 36–25 in the Main Round, followed by a dominant 33–23 victory at the 2023 World Championship in Denmark/Norway/Sweden. During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Scandinavian side added a 26–20 group-stage win on their way to the gold medal, further confirming their strength and consistency.
Norway: Hunting for gold
Norway remains one of the favourites for the world title, having won four gold medals in 1999, 2011, 2015 and 2021. The current Olympic champions have taken three of the last six World Championships, adding silver medals in 2017 and 2023.
This year , however , Norway brings several new faces , as key players such as Camilla Herrem and Stine Bredal Oftedal have retired from the national team. Line player Kari Brattset Dale, goalkeeper Silje Solberg- Østhassel and left wing Sanna Solberg-Isaksen are also absent, as they are expecting children . Still , Norway is expected to move comfortably into the M ain R ound , given their perfect records against both Angola and Kazakhstan.
Norway against Angola and Kazakhstan
Norway has played Angola ten times and won all of those matches: four at the Olympic Games and six at World Championships. Their World Championship victories came in 2005 (36–30), 2007 (32–26), 2011 (26–20), 2013 (26–21), 2019 (30–24) and at the 2023 World Championship (37–19), which remains their biggest win over Angola.
Against Kazakhstan, Norway has played three matches, all won by double-digit margins: 35–19 at the 2008 Olympic Games, 40–19 at the 2015 World Championship and 46–18 at the 2021 World Championship. The Scandinavian team seems well-prepared for their first three group-stage games.
Angola: Experienced squad facing challenges
Angola still has several experienced players and showed at the previous World Championship that they can reach the Main Round, doing so for the first time in eight years. However, their record against Asian opponents is less favourable: only two wins in eight meetings with the Republic of Korea , and a 24–24 draw against Kazakhstan at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Still, Angola has shown in recent years that they can surprise the Republic of Korea : at the 2011 World Championship they won 30–29 in the round of 16, and in the Main Round of the previous World Championship they earned a 33–31 victory. Their Olympic clash at Tokyo 2020 ended in a 31–31 draw.
The battle for the last two spots
The race for the remaining two qualification places for the Main Round promises to be intense. Angola, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea know each other well and will push one another to the limit. Historically, the Republic of Korea holds the upper hand: they have won 16 of 18 World Championship meetings, with Kazakhstan winning twice, both in the Asian Championships of 2002 and 2010.
The last four encounters between the Republic of Korea and Kazakhstan were all won by the Republic of Korea by double-digit margins, including a 30–20 victory at the 2024 AHF Asian Women’s Championship, with an average gap of 18.25 goals per match. This shows a clear favourite, but a strong start from Angola could still shake things up.