Egypt will be aiming for a winning start on Monday when they face Zimbabwe in their Africa Cup of Nations group opener as the Pharaohs begin their quest for a record-extending eighth continental title.
“The opening match is always important in the Africa Cup of Nations,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan told a pre-match news conference on Sunday.
“It gives confidence and strong motivation for the remainder of the group stage and the tournament as a whole.”
Egypt were drawn in Group B alongside Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa.
The seven-time African champions have not lifted the trophy since 2010.
They failed to qualify for three consecutive editions in 2012, 2013 and 2015 before returning to the tournament and losing the 2017 final to Cameroon.
Egypt reached the final again in 2021 but were beaten by Senegal in a penalty shootout, and their most recent campaign ended in frustration with a round-of-16 exit in 2023.
This time, Hassan says his side are determined to make a deeper impact.
“We will do everything possible to win the title this year,” the 59-year-old told the Confederation of African Football (CAF) website.
Hassan, who won the Nations Cup three times as a player, acknowledged the scale of the task.
“Achieving that requires tremendous effort from every member of the team,” he said.
“Egypt is always among the favorites in any competition because of its rich history, particularly in the Africa Cup of Nations, where we hold the record with seven titles.”
Despite qualifying unbeaten for both the Nations Cup and the World Cup, Egypt’s recent performances have been unconvincing.
Defensive frailties remain a concern, highlighted by a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan at an international tournament in the United Arab Emirates in November.
However, their defensive display improved in a 2-1 friendly win over Nigeria in their final warm-up match.
Egypt’s attacking strength remains a key asset, with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, Manchester City winger Omar Marmoush and Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed forming one of the most potent front lines in the tournament.
The midfield is also strong, featuring Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan, Marwan Attia and Emam Ashour, although Ashour’s availability as a starter remains uncertain following a lengthy injury layoff.
“We have a wonderful generation with high-level ability and great potential, capable of competing for the title,” Hassan added.
Zimbabwe coach Marian Marinica admitted the challenge facing his side, particularly with several players sidelined through injury, but insisted his team would not be overawed by Egypt’s star names.
“It will be a tough game because we are facing a big team,” Marinica said.
“The situation is very difficult. We are missing seven players due to injury, and we are not sure all of them will be ready for tomorrow’s game.
“Salah and Marmoush are big names, but we are not worried. If we were, it would be better to stay at home. We are not thinking about individuals, but about the opponent as a team.”
“We only want to apply what we worked on in training, and we hope to achieve the best possible result,” he concluded.
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