World Cup 2026: Egypt seeking its first victory against New Zealand

Getting closer to the second round

Known for its rather defensive style, Egypt showed a more interesting side in their play against Belgium. They even surprised the Red Devils by opening the scoring thanks to Emam Ashour before being caught up in the second half. A solid and encouraging start for the rest of the competition.

But the Pharaohs must now live up to the hopes placed in them against a New Zealand side coming off a spectacular draw (2-2) against Iran. After registering an assist against Belgium, Mohamed Salah will once again be looked to for leading the Pharaohs to their first victory, which would bring them a little closer to the second round that Egypt has never played in during its three participations (in 1934, there were only 16 teams and the first round was the round of 16).

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Hossam Hassan is also not expected to make many or any changes to the starting eleven that lined up against the Red Devils. We should therefore see the same attacking quartet, with Mostafa Ziko and Omar Marmoush set to accompany Ashour and Salah. In defense, Hamed Fathy and Yasser Ibrahim are also expected to keep their spots.

Concentration and ambition

In the pre-match press conference, Hossam Hassan set the tone for this second matchday, which is crucial for the Pharaohs’ future in the competition as they face the All Whites, whom their coach regards with caution.

“We have thoroughly studied our opponent by watching a large number of their official and friendly matches. The New Zealand team is characterized by a style of play close to European football, both in terms of physical strength and tactical discipline,” Hassan described.

Having conceded the equalizer to Belgium via an own goal from Mohamed Hany which helped Romelu Lukaku, the Pharaohs’ boss called for more concentration, especially during defensive phases.

“Concentration will be the decisive factor in this match, believes Hossam Hassan. I have held several training sessions with the players over the past few days to prepare them for the game as usual, and I am fully confident in their ability to deliver the expected performance.”

Finally, Hassan insisted on the three points his team must go for in order to keep their hopes alive in the competition and meet the expectations of their supporters.

“The New Zealand team is one of the strongest and deserves respect. Tomorrow’s match is one of the most important of this tournament. The objective is to win while keeping a balance between attack and defense, and to prepare the team as best as possible for the rest of their World Cup campaign,” he added.