Coach Boris Denić said after the game that the match "was tough, not so much physically as it was psychologically. We all know what was on the line for both teams; were are better than Macedonia in this aspect and we earned the victory."

"It was time that we showed more in Qatar," said player Jure Natek. "It is a great achievement to place among the top eight in the world, especially after experiencing problems in the group stage."

The Slovenian team will play the next game on Wednesday against the winner of a face off between France and Argentina tomorrow.