With a dramatic 3–2 defeat at the hands of Lionel Messi-led Argentina, the Egypt team has been eliminated from the World Cup.
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Egypt has been eliminated from the World Cup in dramatic fashion after losing 3–2 to Lionel Messi’s Argentina. However, fans in Cairo are proud of the team’s performance, as this is Egypt’s best showing at the World Cup to date.
Ismail Fawaz, 39, who watched the round of 16 match on television at a café in Cairo, said, “We are sad, our hearts are broken, but when we look back at the team’s performance, we will feel proud.” He added, “The team did everything it could. Of course, we lost, but we also made history.”
In this World Cup, not only did Egypt win a match for the first time, but it also advanced past the group stage for the first time ever. In doing so, Egypt has written a new chapter in its football history. Egyptians watching the match at the café were overjoyed when their team took a two-goal lead. By the end of the match, those same supporters had tears in their eyes. Still, they praised their team’s performance against the world champions.
Farida Hamdi, 27, said, “Who would want to see the match end like this? But no one can erase the journey the team has made. The team’s performance has given us confidence that Egyptian football is at the top level too.” Otherwise, Egypt’s World Cup history was not just about poor performances, but also about playing to the best of their ability. When Egypt played in the 1934 World Cup, it became the first African country to participate in the tournament. But the team exited the competition early.
It then took Egypt 56 years to return to the World Cup for a second time. Egypt played in the 1990 World Cup but did not win a match. Egypt also participated in the 2018 World Cup but lost all three group stage matches.
Hamdi’s analysis is, “Until this World Cup, just qualifying was considered an achievement for Egypt. But now we have reached the round of 16. Now, we must aim for an even better performance.”
The joy brought by Egypt’s performance was not limited to the country itself. Even in Gaza, thousands of Palestinians watched Egypt’s matches, despite being hundreds of kilometers away from Cairo. Makeshift venues were set up at the Egyptian border to watch the World Cup. Palestinian fans, still fearful from the war, carried pictures of Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan. They were also supporters of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. Among the general football fans, women and young children were equally present.
In the West Bank’s Ramallah as well, thousands of Egypt supporters gathered to watch their country’s match. Among them, 60-year-old Mohammad Saad said, “For Palestine, Egypt is more than just a neighboring country. We share a brotherly relationship, our history is one. We have made many sacrifices, so we are united as well.”
After Egypt’s victory over Australia in this World Cup, coach Hassan also waved the Palestinian flag. In doing so, he won many hearts.
