Iran's Shahriyar Moghanloo (20) battles for the ball with Egypt's Hamza Abdelkarim (9) and Egypt's Yasser Ibrahim (2) during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Egypt and Iran in Seattle. AP
Egypt national team director Ibrahim Hassan hailed the Pharaohs' striking duo, Mostafa "Ziko" Abdel-Raouf and Hamza Abdel-Karim, saying he hopes more promising talents will join the team in the future.
Both Pyramids FC forward Ziko and Barcelona forward Abdel-Karim received their first-ever call-up to Egypt's senior team in the pre-World Cup training camp and quickly repaid the faith shown in them in the prestigious tournament.
"Abdel-Karim is one of those remarkable football talents who emerge out of nowhere, much like Lamine Yamal’s breakthrough and subsequent call-up to Spain," Ibrahim Hassan told ON Sport TV channel early on Monday.
"When a talent as promising as Hamza Abdel-Karim emerges, we must celebrate it. He possesses incredible potential that we can clearly see, and we hope to see more players coming through with the same calibre of talent,” he added.
The 18-year-old Hamza, who is currently plays with FC Barcelona's reserve side Barça Atlètic after recently turning his loan deal from Egypt’s Ahly into a permanent one, is the youngest member of Egypt's World Cup squad. He has already featured in all the games played so far, the 1-1 draw with Belgium, the 3-1 win over New Zealand, and the 1-1 draw with Iran.
Hassan heaped praise on Abdel-Karim's several potentials, stressing that a big club like Barcelona had good reason to sign him.
“Abdel-Karim is a very promising and powerful player. He excels in physical strength, aerial duels, and pace, and he plays with tremendous spirit,” he said.
"When Barcelona decided to sign Hamza Abdel-Karim, and their coach asked for him to be promoted to the first team after the World Cup, it showed they see important qualities in him. They clearly had good reason to sign him, and so do we."
Ziko also shines
The Pharaohs secured a historic place in the knockout stage after finishing second in Group G with five points, level with Belgium, who topped the group on goal difference.
The 29-year-old Ziko played a key role in the historical achievement, scoring a goal in Egypt's 3-1 victory over New Zealand.
"Ziko’s first-ever call-up to the Egyptian national team came during the World Cup, which proves he is an important and exceptional player, and it is a major milestone for him,” the national team director concluded.
Once he joined the team, Ziko quickly proved his worth, scoring two goals in friendly matches against Russia and Brazil before retaining his place in the starting lineup for Egypt's three matches at the World Cup group stage.
Egypt, the seven-time African champions, will face Australia, runners-up in Group D, which also included the United States, Turkey, and Paraguay, in the Round of 32 on Friday, 3 July, at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
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