Egypt Defeat Russia and Head to the World Cup

Egypt secured an important morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Russia in an international friendly at Cairo International Stadium as the Pharaohs completed their final preparations before travelling to the United States for the FIFA World Cup.

Mostafa Abdel Raouf “Zizo” scored the only goal of the match in the 65th minute, handing his country victory in his first official appearance for the national team.

The match brought to a close Egypt’s domestic training camp under head coach Hossam Hassan ahead of the squad’s scheduled departure on Saturday to Ohio, where they will enter the final phase of their World Cup preparations. The result added to the growing optimism among Egyptian supporters, who turned out in large numbers to watch their team.

The clash against Russia was Egypt’s third friendly ahead of the World Cup. The Pharaohs had previously recorded an emphatic 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah before drawing 0-0 with European champions Spain in Barcelona last March, giving the coaching staff an opportunity to assess numerous players before announcing the final tournament squad.

The starting lineup saw the return of defender Mohamed Abdelmonem for the first time in more than a year after recovering from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury that had kept him sidelined for an extended period. Many viewed his comeback as a significant boost for Egypt’s defense ahead of the global showpiece.

Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir continued as the first-choice goalkeeper, while Omar Marmoush led the attack in the absence of star forward Mohamed Salah, who was rested after joining the training camp on the morning of the match.

Hossam Hassan also used the occasion to make several substitutions, giving as many players as possible the opportunity to impress before the final squad selection.

Although the first half ended goalless, Egypt looked far more threatening after the break and gradually imposed their superiority on the game. The breakthrough arrived in the 65th minute when Mohamed Hany delivered a cross from the right flank, which Zizo met with a powerful header from close range that beat Russian goalkeeper Stanislav Agkatsev.

The goal gave Egypt additional confidence, and the hosts remained in control until the final whistle. Zizo, meanwhile, received widespread praise following an impressive performance in his international debut.

The closing stages also featured a special moment as Barcelona youth player Hamza Abdel Karim made his first appearance for Egypt’s senior national team, underlining the coaching staff’s commitment to giving opportunities to young talents.

Abdel Karim had attracted considerable attention during his performances for Egypt at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar last year before moving from Al Ahly to Barcelona on loan with an option to buy, where he has continued his development within the Catalan club’s academy.

Hossam Hassan is expected to announce the removal of one player from the preliminary 27-man squad in the coming days before the team departs for the United States. Egypt have been drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand.

Egypt will begin their World Cup campaign with a challenging encounter against Belgium on 15 June in Seattle before facing New Zealand in Vancouver on 22 June, and will conclude their group-stage fixtures against Iran on 27 June.