Egypt and Algeria played out a 27:25 draw at the Mediterranean Games on Friday, a result that keeps the hosts unbeaten at the top of their group while leaving Algeria in second place.
Egypt had come into the match on a strong run, winning their previous three games including a 25:22 victory over Italy on Wednesday. Algeria, by then, had taken points from Greece in a 26:26 draw but carried a loss to Tunisia from their earlier outings.
The result means Egypt remain three points clear at the summit with nine from three matches, while Algeria sit on seven after two wins and one defeat. To be fair, neither side pulled away decisively, and the gap stayed exactly where it was before kickoff.
Egypt's recent record shows consistency — they had beaten Kosovo 42:21 and Portugal 38:27 in their opening fixtures, though their last two meetings with Iceland showed they can drop points against careful opposition.
Algeria's form has been steadier than their earlier results suggested. They took a point from Greece and had previously beaten Cyprus 33:24, even if their last two matches against Tunisia ended without victory.
The table does not shift dramatically from this result, but Egypt's unbeaten run extends to three matches while Algeria have now dropped points in two of their last three games.