According to Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy, El-Sisi urged the national football team, who are preparing for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) in the Ivory Coast later this month, at the new state-of-the-art Egypt Stadium, to make Egyptians happy at the AFCON.

The Pharaohs are hoping to win their eighth African championship, which would be their first in 13 years.

Moreover, El-Sisi said that the state has exerted great effort to establish the Olympic City, which comprises 22 sports facilities constructed in line with the Olympic standards.

He noted that the state has renovated 4,500 youth centres nationwide to improve sports infrastructure.

El-Sisi noted that the construction of the new Olympic City took six years, adding that the state attaches great importance to fully preparing youth to represent the country at international tournaments.

He expressed pleasure that seven professional Egyptian football players are playing in European and international leagues, expressing his desire that their number would increase in the future.

Meanwhile, Egypt skipper and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah told the president that the players will exert great efforts to win the competition, lauding the improvement of the sports system

The president told the Pharaohs that the national football team was a major source of soft power for Egypt.