Former Captains Hail Egypt's Historic Qualification
Former captains and players of the Egyptian national team have expressed their delight at Egypt's progress to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026. They believe facing Australia next Friday could be the best-case scenario in the next round and an opportunity to write a new chapter in the country's football history. Wild celebrations broke out across Egypt after the historic qualification to the Round of 32, secured by a 1-1 draw with Iran on Saturday. The encounter saw the Pharaohs finish second in Group G with five points, behind leaders Belgium.
Key Moments Against Iran
The match featured several dramatic moments, including VAR's overturning of what would have been Iran's second and winning goal in stoppage time. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan was forced to make substitutions due to injuries to key players, including star man and captain Mohamed Salah. Gamal Abdel Hamid, who captained Egypt at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, told Arab News: "The Egyptian national team, under the leadership of coach Hossam Hassan, played as one unit, and they deserved to achieve the best-case scenario. We hope to continue the victories in the next round, provided they maintain the same ambition and spirit."
Tactical Success and Defensive Solidity
Hamid said that Egypt's respect for all teams in the group was the secret to qualifying. He added that if the national team continues to play with the same tactics — an organized zonal defense system with quick attacking transitions — they could progress even further. Hamid agreed with Hassan's statement that the Egyptian team has "26 champions" in its squad, highlighting that midfielder Mahmoud Saber scored Egypt's goal against Iran in his first World Cup appearance, while Zico had scored one goal against New Zealand and assisted another for Salah.
"Everyone expected us to beat Iran after the brilliant performance at the World Cup, but we faced bad luck after Mohamed Al-Moneim's injury. We also played seven minutes at the end of the match after Ahmed Fatouh, the left-back, was injured," Hamid added.
Attacking Strength and Defensive Organization
Tarek El-Sayed, former left-back of the Egyptian national team, noted: "The players have made numerous gains for Egyptian football. Firstly, the Egyptian national team scored five goals in three matches, highlighting its attacking strength. The team also showed strong defensive organization and goalkeeping performances, which led to their direct qualification as the second-place team in Group G."
El-Sayed added that Hassan can compensate for the absence of some players due to injury or suspension from yellow cards in the upcoming match against Australia, which he considers a great opportunity for the players to make another historic contribution, following their first-ever World Cup win against New Zealand. He also expressed hope that Salah recovers quickly from his injury because of his pivotal role in leading the team.
Australia Match: A Favorable Draw
Yasser Rayan, another former international player, told Arab News that the match against Australia will not be easy, as they are close in the FIFA rankings to Egypt. However, he added that facing the Socceroos is preferable to facing France or other European teams in the first match of the knockout stages. He said that if Egypt deliver a strong performance as they did against New Zealand, they will likely qualify for the next round.
