Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Cairo, Egypt – Hours before the historic day for millions of Egyptians, events have taken place across the country: flags fly on cars and balconies, patriotic songs blare from loudspeakers, and restaurants are transformed into small squares.
And from public transport to workplaces and markets, every conversation revolves around one question: Will the Pharaohs continue their World Cup streak when they play Argentina?
Egypt will face the world champions in the round of 16 tournament in Atlanta, United States, on Tuesday. But the game is no longer just a football tournament – it has become a national event that transcends the boundaries of football.
The national team has regained hope by reaching the final in this competition for the first time and has opened the door to the dream that people have been waiting for a long time to compete with the giants of football.
The game has deep meaning for fans following Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan’s support for Palestine after his team’s victory over Australia in their first round of 32 match on Friday.
Israeli journalists were quick to attack the Egyptian coach and team, and Israeli supporters called on their friends to support Argentina against Egypt.
Hope, faith and pride in Cairo
A day before the start of the trip, a restaurant in Egypt became a hot mess, and locals traveling on public transport exchanged directions, predictions and analysis.
The great pride in the team’s achievements was evident and it boosted confidence in the Pharaohs’ ability to continue their historic streak when faced with more formidable opponents.
Ragab Mohamed, an architect, said the games were “an honorable victory for all Egyptians”.
Supporters, including Mahmoud, who did not give his last name and was busy watching Brazil’s elimination by Norway at a cafe in the Hadayek October area of Giza, said the Egyptian team did well throughout the game. He reserved special praise for captain Mohamed Salah and praised the team for raising public expectations for every result.
Mohamed believes that Salah and Emam Ashour will be outstanding players, as well as coach Hassan who surprised, but he was quick to admit that, regardless of what happened in Argentina, the team was “proud”.
For Adham Adel, a doctor in Giza, Egypt’s run is reminiscent of Morocco’s history at the Qatar World Cup 2022. He encouraged the team to move forward, saying that the goal is to see Egypt in the quarterfinals.
The pharaohs are rewriting history
On the streets, everything about the national team is the flag.
Vendors selling Egyptian flags, whistles and weapons have taken over squares and highways amid crowds of fans preparing for a historic night – all to the sound of national anthems blaring from loudspeakers.
Masoud al-Sayed, who started his business selling flags and whistles on the road to Al-Haram in Giza, said Egypt had not seen this joy “since the days of Hassan Shehata’s team”, referring to the generation of Egyptian footballers who won three consecutive African Cup of Nations titles between 2006 and 2010.
Another fan, Mahmoud Rabie believes that the game with Argentina will be the most difficult since the beginning of the tournament, but not impossible, because of the mental strength that the national team has shown under Hassan. He credits the coaching staff for instilling confidence in the players and fans.
Some fans, such as Eid Mahmoud, believe that if the match is decided again in penalties, Egypt will win, because of their goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.
Young fans are happy with the team’s push towards deafness and removing the notion of “respectful participation”.
He cited Cape Verde’s performance against Argentina as proof that the world champions could not be surprised, stressing that the presence of stars such as Salah and Omar Marmoush gave the Egyptians hope.
In Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city, national flags stood on the beach and could be seen in the hands of children.
The child in the red shirt, Raghad, 11, wore the Al Ahly club shirt with number 22, which is worn by Ashour, who scored Egypt’s first goal against Australia. The young fan admitted that he doesn’t know many of the players apart from Salah and Ashour, but plans to watch the game at a cafe with his father.
Among the positive predictions, fans agree that the players have succeeded in restoring faith in the team and the country.
When the game kicks off away from Atlanta, millions of people will flock to restaurants and streets as they await the Pharaohs’ latest attempt to rewrite Egyptian football history.
