Azerbaijan's women's handball club Kur will play their next match in the EHF European Cup today, November 13.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the Mingachevir-based team will face Cair, representing the district of the same name in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, in the third round of the competition. The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the round of 16.
Kur reached this stage with two convincing victories over Cypriot side APOEL, winning 40-18 and 39-13. Cair, meanwhile, entered the tournament directly in the third round.
Despite having no major domestic titles, the North Macedonian club has considerable European experience. Cair have competed in continental tournaments since the 2020/21 season and have regularly challenged for leading positions in their domestic championship.
The team reached the North Macedonian Cup final in both 2024 and 2025. In their first final appearance, Cair defeated the more experienced Vardar 32-28 in the semifinals before losing 36-24 to Gjorce Petrov. The same opponents met in the following year's final, with Gjorce Petrov again emerging victorious, this time 36-19.
Last season, Cair also finished runners-up in the national championship, behind Gjorce Petrov, but were eliminated from the domestic cup in the semifinals following a narrow 24-23 defeat to Spartak.
Interestingly, the two clubs share a connection through playmaker Leonora Rahmani, who previously represented both teams.
Rahmani played for Cair in European competitions between the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons and was the top scorer in the final stage of the 2024 North Macedonian Cup.
She subsequently joined Kur and represented the Azerbaijani club in the 2024/25 EHF European Cup, scoring seven goals across two matches against Greek side Ionias. Rahmani left Kur in the summer of 2025 and currently plays for Kosovo's Samadredja.
Cair's most successful European campaign came in the 2024/25 season, when the club reached the EHF European Cup round of 16 for the first time.
The North Macedonian side defeated Luxembourg's Kaerjeng 26-24 and 32-26 before overcoming Portugal's Colegio de Gaia 29-25 and 28-26. However, their campaign ended against Slavia Prague, who won both round-of-16 encounters 31-20 and 33-29.
Ahead of the matches against Kur, Cair occupy second place in the North Macedonian Super League with 12 points, three behind defending champions Gjorce Petrov.
Their recent domestic performances have also revealed certain weaknesses. Against Gjorce Petrov, Cair led 19-17 but failed to score during the final ten minutes, allowing their opponents to secure a 19-19 draw. Nura Mahmud scored five goals for Cair, while Mihaela Kraleva added four.
The club also competes in the Women's Regional Handball League (WRHL), which brings together teams from several Balkan countries. However, their results in that competition have been less impressive, with defeats against Serbia's Bor (26-33) and Naisa (19-20), alongside a 27-27 draw with Montenegro's Stars-Lavice.
Nevertheless, participation in the regional competition gives Cair an advantage in terms of regular match practice.
Kur, by contrast, have faced significant difficulties due to the ongoing crisis in Azerbaijani handball. With the national championship not taking place, the Mingachevir side remain the country's only active club and have largely relied on European fixtures to maintain competitive rhythm.
Another similarity between the teams is that both are currently their countries' sole representatives in European women's club handball competitions. Cair became North Macedonia's only remaining team following Gjorce Petrov's elimination from the EHF European League qualifiers.
Both matches between Kur and Cair will take place at the Kur Olympic Training and Sports Centre in Mingachevir.
The first leg is scheduled for November 13, with the return match taking place on November 15. Both encounters will begin at 17:00 Baku time.
