The Egyptian national team, led by the recently appointed coach Hossam Hassan, is set to compete against New Zealand in the Capital Cup.
The international friendly tournament, featuring Egypt, New Zealand, Croatia, and Tunisia, is scheduled to take place from March 22nd to 26th at the new state-of-the-art Egypt Stadium in the New Administrative Capital.
The victor of the Egypt versus New Zealand match will advance to face the winner between Croatia and Tunisia in the final on Tuesday.
Originally planned for the United Arab Emirates, the international friendly tournament was relocated to Egypt and renamed the Egypt Capital Cup.
Coach Hossam Hassan, who assumed the role of the Pharaohs’ coach last month, intends to utilize the tournament to prepare the team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Egypt is situated in Group A alongside Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Sierra Leone.
The Pharaohs’ qualifying campaign will kick off on June 3rd with a home match against Burkina Faso, followed by an away fixture against Guinea Bissau a week later.
“The tournament holds significant importance for me and the team,” expressed Hossam Hassan during a news conference.
“We will strive for positive outcomes and enhanced team performance to bolster our confidence for future commitments,” he emphasized.
Egypt’s probable lineup:
Mostafa Shobeir; Mohamed Hamdi, Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, Ramy Rabia, Mohamed Hani, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour, Mohamed “Afsha” Magdy, Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed, Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan
Egypt will participate in the international friendly tournament without their star player and captain, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah.
Both Salah and his club have requested his absence from the squad to prioritize his recovery from a recent injury.
LIVE ONLINE: Egypt v New Zealand
K.O. 22:00 Cairo local time / 16:00 ET Canada-USA
