Photo courtesy of Yasser Ibrahim's facebook account
Egypt defender Yasser Ibrahim highlighted the difficulty of the Pharaohs’ upcoming clash against New Zealand at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning against underestimating any opponent.
Egypt, the seven-time Africa champions, opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Belgium and are now preparing to face New Zealand early on Monday in their second Group Stage match.
“New Zealand are not an easy team. They possess pace, physical strength and attack-minded players. They represent a different football school,” Ibrahim told MBC Masr TV channel early on Saturday.
Egypt are in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand.
New Zealand began their World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against Iran on Monday.
According to Ibrahim, all respect should be shown to all opponents in the prestigious tournament.
“No team should be underestimated. Football has developed significantly across the world. Just look at the African national teams,” he added.
Under the guidance of coach Hossam Hassa, Egypt is still searching for their first-ever victory at the World Cup as they failed to secure a single win in their previous three appearances in 1934, 1990, and 2018.
Ibrahim finally emphasized that the squad’s focus and unity ahead of every match, as the technical staff and all players are eying a different record this time.
“Everyone in the Egypt camp understands the importance of each game. The players are always talking to one another before every match,” he concluded.
The Egyptian team will conclude their group-stage campaign against Iran on 27 June in Seattle.
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