Egypt hope to add another continental crown to their record collection as the most important football tournament for African countries gets underway later this month.
The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), also known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, is to be held in the Ivory Coast from 13 January to 11 February.
Egypt hold the record for the most titles with seven trophies in their cabinet. The last one, however, was in 2010 and 14 years is a long time for a country that usually stands out in this tournament, including reaching the final last time out.
The Pharaohs are in Group B alongside Mozambique, Ghana and Cape Verde. Four-time winner Ghana will be Egypt’s biggest challenger but a second-place finish in this relatively weak group is all that’s needed to advance to the round of 16.
Speaking at a recent press conference during which he announced the final squad, Egypt’s Portuguese national team coach Rui Vitoria acknowledged that no coach can guarantee winning the AFCON but said he was ready to face “any challenge” in the tournament, and vowed to approach each game as if it were the final.
In Vitoria’s 15 months at the helm, the 53-year-old led Egypt to the present AFCON and made a perfect start in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, winning the first two matches. But taking the AFCON will be Vitoria’s sternest test yet.
Before the tournament even begins, though, Vitoria might have done himself and his team a huge disservice after his surprise decision not to include Ahly striker Hussein Al-Shahat for the AFCON. Al-Shahat is arguably Egypt’s best player these days and his form on offense was stellar in recent Ahly games in the country’s Super Cup and Club World Cup.
No official reason has been given for Al-Shahat being cut from the squad but in November Vitoria excluded three players, including Al-Shahat, from an African World Cup qualifier for dissent.
A possible lingering fallout from the protest could be one explanation for the exclusion although it should be noted that one of the other protagonists, Emam Ashour, was chosen for AFCON.
Another absentee from the team was mid-field veteran Abdullah Al-Said who last month said it would be “an honor” for him to return to the national team after a prolonged absence, and it was reported he had Vitoria’s back. But age might have been a factor for the omission as the 37-year-old Al-Said visibly slowed down last season.
Some of the players who Victoria chose are also questionable. Zamalek duo Mohamed Sobhi in goal and star left back Ahmed Fattouh have not played for their club in months for financial and possible disciplinary reasons. Their inclusion violates the ABC rules of football which is not to include a player on a national team who does not play consistently for his club. Rustiness, lack of physical fitness and off-timing are usually the results.
The squad welcoming back Turkish Pendikspor forward Ahmed Hassan Kouka also raised eyebrows. For years, Kouka has come and gone in the national team without creating any meaningful impact when he’s around.
Of course, Vitoria could not have got it wrong when choosing Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, Egypt’s captain and the team’s uncontested main man. How Salah will fare will go a long way towards determining how far Egypt will go in the tournament.
But Salah must try to shake off his reputation for not doing as well for Egypt as he does for Liverpool. Despite being Egypt’s second all-time leading scorer, Salah has never hoisted the AFCON trophy. With Salah, Egypt have been runners-up twice, beaten by Cameroon in 2017 and Senegal in penalties in the last edition in February in 2022.
But Salah recently excelled in Egypt’s opening World Cup qualifier against Djibouti, scoring four times in a resounding 6-0 victory.
The big knock on Salah underperforming when wearing Egypt’s jersey is usually attributed to him not playing with the same calibre of players found in Liverpool, and not being coached by someone with the stature of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
The argument is credible, but in reality Egypt has some standout players who can give Salah a helping hand, including Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Al-Neni, Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, and Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan of Trabzonspor in Turkey. The team also enjoys the services of a host of big names from domestic powerhouse club Ahly who last year won the African Champions League for a record-extending 11th time and last month finished third in the Club World Cup for the fourth time.
History is also on Egypt’s side. The country has not only won the most AFCON’s but will be participating in the event for an African record 26th time.
Egypt are set to face Tanzania in a pre-tournament friendly on 7 January. While it will be difficult to gauge Egypt’s performance against an opponent not expected to present a significant challenge, the game could provide some insight into Egypt’s capabilities.
The AFCON finals were originally due to take place in June and July but were moved to early 2024 to avoid the rainy season in the Ivory Coast.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 4 January, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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