The Pharaohs are due to host the New Zealand team at Egypt Stadium in the opening match of the international friendly tournament “Egypt Capital Cup,” scheduled to take place on 22-26 March in the New Administrative Capital.
Limited numbers attended football games in Egypt in the past three years amid security measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Still, the country's football authorities worked hard recently to increase the numbers.
Friday’s game will be the first official match at Egypt Stadium which was officially opened in January and can accommodate nearly 94,000 supporters.
The friendly tournament will feature Egypt, New Zealand, Croatia, and Tunisia.
The opening games will be on Friday as Egypt will face New Zealand, while Tunisia will take on Croatia.
The losers of Friday’s matches will compete in a third-place match on 25 March, and the winners will battle for the trophy on 26 March.
This friendly tournament is important as it prepares for Egypt's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau.
The qualifiers will take place in June as part of the third and fourth rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
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