The Pharaohs secured their place in the highly anticipated final of the Egypt Capital Cup by defeating New Zealand 1-0 on Friday.

Meanwhile, Croatia emerged victorious in a hard-fought match against Tunisia, prevailing with a 5-4 scoreline on Saturday.

Coach Hossam Hassan, who assumed the role of Pharaohs' coach last month, emphasized the significance of a triumph over Croatia, highlighting the team's morale boost and the importance of performing well against the side that finished third in the World Cup.

"The result against Croatia is important, but what matters most to me is beating them tactically and technically on the field," Hossam Hassan said.

This friendly tournament serves as a preparatory camp for the Pharaohs ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, under the guidance of 57-year-old coach Hassan.

Egypt has been placed in Group A alongside Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Sierra Leone.

The Pharaohs' qualifying campaign will kick off on June 3 with a home match against Burkina Faso, followed by an away game against Guinea Bissau a week later.

"The tournament holds great importance for me and the team," stated Hossam Hassan during a news conference.

"We will aim for positive results and improved team performance to boost our confidence for upcoming commitments," he added.

However, Egypt will be without the services of veteran defender Ahmed Hegazi, who departed from the camp on Sunday due to personal reasons.

Additionally, Ahly's midfielder Emam Ashour will miss Egypt's game against Croatia after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the match against New Zealand.

The Egyptian team will also continue to miss their star player and captain, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah.

This will be the second meeting between Egypt and Croatia in friendly matches, with their previous encounter taking place during the South Korea tournament in 1999.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw between the two teams. Notably, Egypt's current coach, Hossam Hassan, was a member of the Pharaohs squad and even scored a goal during the friendly against Croatia.

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