Egypt’s All-Time Scorers Target Unprecedented 8th AFCON trophy
Two of Egypt’s all-time leading scorers have teamed up to chase an unprecedented eighth AFCON triumph.
Mohamed Salah, 33, is at the twilight of his career. Having won everything that club football can offer, the onus is now on the “Egyptian King” to bring his country an eighth AFCON trophy in Morocco.
He is being guided by the very man whose record he is pursuing: Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s all-time top scorer with 69 goals.
Background
Seven – time African Champions Egypt,
will trade tackles with the rest of the Continent – this December 2025, in an attempt to reclaim the AFCON title that has eluded them for over a dozen years.
Egypt, located mostly in the northern part of the African Continent, has a total area of 1,002,450 square km, making it the 31st largest country in the world.
The country is made up of over 102.3 million inhabitants, with a quarter of the population inseparable from the so called beautiful game.
This will be Egypt’s 27th AFCON appearance. They’re equally the country with the most AFCON editions, having hosted five times. Three of them ended with Egypt being crowned champions.
The most recent 2019 edition hosted by Egypt, however, ended in a dismal performance, as they lost to South Africa via a one – nil margin in the quarter finals.
AFCON History
Nicknamed the Pharos, Egypt’s senior men’s national team have been head and shoulders the best on the continent as per numbers.
The country’s first triumph at the AFCON finals came at the tournament’s inception way back in 1957, when they mauled Ethiopia four – nil.
Two years on; 1959, Egypt claimed her second successive AFCON title as hosts with a two – one leapfrog over Sudan.
The emergence of other countries like; Ghana, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Cameroon meant Egypt was left in the cold from 1962-1986.
The North Africans revitalized in 1986, then pulled clear and became the first African team to get a third crown in the competition.
Egypt was back for more, as champions in 1998 before that superlative run dubbed a historic hat – trick of wins from 2006-2010 placed the team miles apart from their competitors.
The Golden Era
From legendary coach Hassan Shehata, to the country’s most capped player, Ahmed Hassan, goalkeeper Essam El Hadary and others, that 2006-2010 group holds the most potent argument of Egypt’s golden era and more.
It was an astonishing period of success defined by revolutionary, possession-based football, and the dream team managed to drub some of the top African Nations including the Lions of Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana.
Players to watch
Egypt has always been a reservoir for some fine – fleet – footed players.
Mohamed Salah
2019 CAF player of the year – Mohamed Salah is a joy to watch and the ‘Egyptian King’ will be looking for his first AFCON this December. Salah was denied the holy grail in Gabon (2017) and Cameroon (2021), only ending up as an unfortunate finalist. He scored twice in the qualifiers to this global showpiece, and is Egypt’s second highest goal scorer with 61 goals, 8 behind coach Hossam Hassan with 69.
Mahmoud Ahmed Trezeguet
Mahmoud Ahmed Trezeguet who plays his club football for African giants – Al Ahly was a king – pin in the 2019 and 2021 AFCON editions. The 31 – year – old has improved since then and he is pivotal in whatever plans coach Hassan has for the side, especially after netting four times in the AFCON qualifiers, finishing as Egypt’s top scorer.
Mostafa Mohamed
Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed put in a scintillating display at the 2023 AFCON, and now, the 28-year-old is a real prospect for the CAN Maroc.
Mostafa in the previous AFCON edition with Salah injured for most parts, led the team in terms of goals scoring as he netted four times, scoring in all the group games and in the round of 16s as Egypt conceded defeat to Congo on penalties.
Omar Marmoush
Egypt’s co-star Omar Marmoush is yet to hit the sort of form that made Pep Guardiola go after the erstwhile Frankfurt man, but the AFCON presents the perfect opportunity to redeem himself. The 26-year-old scored once in Egypt’s 3-0 win over Cape Verde in the qualifiers. He has contributed two goals in 14 appearances across all competitions this season. Marmoush is a positive runner with the ball and is not afraid to drive from a distance.
Ahmed Sayed
With the dust settled after his high profile transfer from Zamalek to Ahly, Ahmed Sayed show-named Zizo has a point to prove especially representing the country.
With over 52 appearances under his belt, the latter has been very active during coach Hossam Hassan’s era, who has clearly shown more trust in him. When fit, zizo started 3/4 of Egypt’s games. His ability on set pieces and creative mentality could lead to more in terms of attacking threat for Egypt.
2025 Afcon journey
Group C consisted of four teams: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania and Botswana.
Egypt and Botswana, the group winners and runners-up respectively, qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
6 September 2024
22:00 UTC+3
Egypt 3–0 Cape Verde
Rabia 23′
Marmoush 45+1′
Adel 70′
Cairo international Stadium
10 September 2024
18:00 UTC+2
Botswana 0–4 Egypt
Trézéguet 5′, 29′
Salah 56′
M. Fathi 90+4′
Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, Francistown
11 October 2024
19:00 UTC+3
Egypt 2–0 Mauritania
Trézéguet 69′
Salah 79′
Cairo International Stadium, Cairo
15 October 2024
16:00 UTC+0
Mauritania 0–1 Egypt
Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium, Nouakchott
15 November 2024
14:00 UTC−1
Cape Verde 1–1 Egypt
Mendes 63′ (pen.)
Mohamed 31′
Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia
19 November 2024
19:00 UTC+2
Egypt 1–1 Botswana
Trézéguet 15′
Kebatho 8′
30 June Stadium, Cairo
Egypt finished as group leaders with 14 points, while Botswana ended runners-up with 8 points.
2025 AFCON group
Egypt is placed in Group B for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations. The Pharaohs will play all three of their group stage matches at the Grand Stade d’Agadir.
Their campaign begins on Monday, December 22, 2025, with a match against Zimbabwe, which is set to kick off at six o’clock in the evening local time in Morocco.
Their second fixture will see them face off against South Africa, on Friday, December 26, 2025. This crucial encounter is equally slated for six o’clock in the evening local time.
The final match of the group stage for Egypt is against Angola on Monday, December 29, 2025. This game will be played later in the evening, with a kick-off time of 8:30 PM in Morocco.
Coach
Legendary Egyptian player Hossam Hassan took over as the head coach of the national team in February 2024, replacing Rui Vitória. His appointment marked a highly impressive start, propelling the Pharaohs towards major global tournaments.
Under Hassan’s guidance, Egypt qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This achievement makes Hassan the first Egyptian coach to lead the Pharaohs to the World Cup, a feat he also accomplished as a player by scoring the decisive goal in 1989 for the 1990 tournament.
Hassan’s has managed 20 matches played for 13 wins, 5 draws and two defeats across all competitions. His first major assignment resulted in a second-place finish in the FIFA Series tournament in Cairo, featuring a win over New Zealand and a loss to Croatia in the final.
Beyond the World Cup, the ultimate objective remains guiding the Pharaohs to an AFCON title.
Hassan’s coaching style is characterized by a narrow focus on defensive positioning, demanding intensive pressing from his attacking unit, and generating offense through the exploitation of the wings.
Prior to leading Egypt, Hassan had international experience leading the Jordan national team from 2013 to 2014, guiding them through part of their 2014 World Cup qualification campaign. Domestically, he has managed several top Egyptian clubs, including Zamalek, Ismaily, Al-Masry, and Pyramids.
