Egypt head coach Hany Ramzy (Photo: AP)
Only a few hours before Wednesday's scheduled game against Belarus, Egypt’s U-23 coach Hany Ramzi voiced confidence about his team's ability to reach the Olympic quarterfinals.
Following their 1-1 draw against New Zealand on day two, Egypt will be in a do-or-die situation when they meet Belarus in the final day of the group stage on Wednesday at Glasgow's Hampden Park Stadium to qualify for the second round.
Egypt are now third in the group with only point, behind leaders Brazil (6 points) and second-placed Belarus (3 points).
"I'm confident in Egypt's ability to reach the second round," Egypt’s U-23 coach told state news agency MENA.
"My team gave a fine performance in the past two games against Brazil and New Zealand, but we were unlucky in both matches," he added.
Despite being down 3-0 in the first half against Brazil in the group opener, Ramzi's men managed to recover in the second half, scoring two goals – and came close to scoring a third.
In their match against New Zealand, the Egyptian team missed several chances to score, ending with a frustrating draw that deprived them of a merited victory.
"We need more concentration against Belarus," Ramzi concluded. "But the players have promised me that they will win, and I trust them."
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