Egypt looks to Cape Verde precedent to challenge Argentina: 'We fear no one'

Egypt's national football team is gearing up for a significant World Cup clash against Argentina, with players and staff expressing a determined mindset ahead of the decisive match.

The Egyptian squad trained in Atlanta, the venue for their upcoming game, after their initial practice was cut short by a thunderstorm upon arrival. The team is drawing inspiration from their historical encounters with Cape Verde, a team that proved a tough opponent for Argentina in a previous match. Egypt has faced Cape Verde four times in the last two years, securing two wins and two draws, which fuels their belief that they can challenge stronger opponents.

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If we are guided by reality, Argentina has more opportunities, but we can win.

"If we are guided by reality, Argentina has more opportunities, but we can win," said Waleed Elhadidy, a journalist covering the team. He also recalled Egypt's strong showing in the 2009 Confederations Cup, where they defeated Italy 1-0 and narrowly lost to Brazil 4-3, demonstrating their potential to compete against top-tier nations.

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Argentina is the strongest team in the world, along with France and Spain. We must prepare well and stop Messi. If we can do that, we will stop 50% of Argentina's strength.

Star player Mohamed Salah is present and training with the team, serving as a key hope for Egypt. However, coach Hossam Hassan is working to ensure the team's performance is not solely reliant on Salah, also highlighting the potential of players like Omar Marmoush. Hassan emphasized the need to prepare well and find ways to contain Lionel Messi, acknowledging that stopping him would neutralize a significant portion of Argentina's strength.

In a pre-match press conference, Hassan conveyed a message of respect for the reigning champions but stressed his team's ambition. "We fear no one. In football, if you face the opponent with a negative mentality, you achieve nothing. Our main concern is what we will do on the field," he stated. This confident approach reflects the team's aspiration to make a deep run in the tournament.

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We fear no one. In football, if you face the opponent with a mentality negative, you achieve nothing. Our main concern is what we will do on the field.