The Egyptian National Team and the Dream of Crowning the “Dark Princess”: The Africa Cup of Nations

Written by Dr. Hamada Alantably

No one among the fans and followers of the Egyptian national football team could have expected that the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2022—which kicked off on January 9, 2022, with a lackluster performance from the Egyptians following a 1-0 loss to Nigeria in the group stage—would lead us to a date with the final match on February 6, 2022. This followed a magnificent performance and well-deserved victories over three heavyweights after three marathon matches, each lasting 120 minutes, in which Egypt managed to overcome Ivory Coast, Morocco, and finally, the hosts, Cameroon. It is as if football is telling you once again: do not be deceived by beginnings, for it is the end that counts. Just as an arrow must be pulled back to shoot forward with maximum speed and pierce the clouds, this tournament seems to signal the birth of new heroes. It brings to mind the legendary squad of Mahmoud El-Gohary in the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso; this tournament has been remarkably similar to what we have experienced over the past month.

At the start of the tournament, all predictions favored the Algerian team, the defending champions who had won the Arab Cup just days before, followed by Morocco, Cameroon (the hosts), or Nigeria. Everyone was saying that Egypt would leave the tournament in disgrace. There were voices demanding the dismissal of Egypt’s head coach, Carlos Queiroz, and criticism was aimed at all the players, led by Egypt’s greatest star, Mohamed Salah, the best player in the world at the time. The beginning was truly humble; players were not playing in their natural positions, and everyone was questioning the coach’s selections, criticizing the exclusion of certain stars and the inclusion of others.

But step by step, those opinions and voices began to change, one after another, especially after witnessing the end of the group stage, the exit of Algeria and Ghana, and the rise of smaller teams on the continent. We found ourselves facing Ivory Coast in the Round of 16, which had just eliminated Algeria with a 3-1 win. Everyone tried to rally the spirits of the players to show their true mettle—the spirit of the Egyptian player that shines in times of hardship. The surprise came with a distinguished performance and a well-deserved victory via penalty shootouts, despite the injury of our first-choice goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shenawy. It was a wake-up call for the “Champion,” proving that dreams were still alive.

The next station for Egypt was the “stubborn” Moroccan team. What made the match even harder was that Egypt had played 120 minutes just three days prior. Yet, the team proved once again that the Champion and Master of Africa had returned, securing a well-deserved 2-1 win after trailing by a goal in the first three minutes, despite a referee who seemed to restrict the players’ performance. The match also saw the injury of the second-choice goalkeeper, Mohamed Abou Gabal, who was replaced by the youngster Mohamed Sobhy.

The team then prepared for a highly anticipated clash described by Samuel Eto’o, President of the Cameroonian Football Federation, as a “war.” This buildup was accompanied by drama, such as drones filming the Egyptian team’s training, CAF imposing penalties on Egypt due to post-match events against Morocco, and the appointment of referee Bakary Gassama—a referee with a suspicious history against Egyptian teams. Egypt protested the appointment, and once the match began, it was clear he was a “provocative referee” who successfully stressed the players and the technical staff. Yet, the Egyptian team managed to win their third marathon match in a row, having played 360 minutes of football in one week, triumphing 3-1 on penalties thanks to the brilliance of the giant goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal.

Thus, the Egyptian team reached the final to face the continent’s top-ranked team, Senegal—the same team that fate would later pair with Egypt in the decisive playoff for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, creating a special rivalry between Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.

The journey was not only difficult in terms of the matches but also due to the injuries that struck the core squad. It started in the 11th minute of the first match against Nigeria with Akram Tawfik, who suffered a torn ACL, ending his tournament. By the end of that same match, Mahmoud Hamdy “El-Wensh” was injured. In the match against Ivory Coast, we lost goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy and Hamdy Fathy, while Mohamed Sherif suffered a cut lip. During the quarter-final against Morocco, Mohamed Abou Gabal was injured, and Ahmed Hegazi was ruled out of the tournament. It was a battlefield, not just a football tournament. Yet, the substitutes shone, providing a second chance for players who revealed special abilities, such as young defender Mohamed Abdelmonem, right-back Omar Kamal, and the brilliant Mohamed Abou Gabal, alongside the entire squad whose true mettle was revealed.

Now, we look forward to Sunday, February 6, 2022, for a final of a special kind. Egypt faces Senegal, having played three fiery matches, each going to 120 minutes in a single week—a massive physical burden on any player, especially in the exceptional circumstances and humble facilities of Cameroon, where we saw players performing recovery in buckets as if we had returned to the Middle Ages. They face a Senegalese team whose path was much easier and who enter the match with an extra day of rest. But the mettle shown by the players and the great experience of the veteran coach, Carlos Queiroz, confirm that this match will not be easy by any means. The Pharaohs will fight until the very last breath to crown Egypt with its eighth star, continuing to break records. The Egyptian “Giant” and Master of Africa returns to rule the continent. This is Egypt, ladies and gentlemen, and these are the Egyptians. Never expect them to be defeated or to surrender, for it is always the end that counts.

By Dr. Hamada Alantably