With a 15-year title drought hanging heavy, the Pharaohs enter Afcon 2025 in Morocco under pressure, pride, and expectation, as Mohamed Salah becomes the focal point of a do-or-die tournament for coach Hossam Hassan.
The Africa Cup of Nations is back, and for Egypt, it never feels like just another tournament. As the Pharaohs line up for their Group B opener against Zimbabwe in Agadir, the weight of history, frustration, and belief travels with them across the border into Morocco.
For a country that once ruled African football with almost casual authority, the wait has been long. Painfully long. Fifteen years, to be exact. And counting.
A drought that refuses to be forgotten
Egypt’s relationship with Afcon glory is complicated now. Once dominant, now restless.
No nation has lifted the trophy more times than Egypt. Seven titles sit proudly in the record books, highlighted by an absurdly good three-peat between 2006 and 2010. That era still plays on loop in cafés, barber shops, and living rooms. Grainy highlights. Familiar chants. Younger fans watch and wonder what it must have felt like.
Since then, reality has been far less kind.
The Pharaohs failed to even qualify for three consecutive editions between 2012 and 2015. When they did return, hope flickered, then faded. Two final defeats followed, in 2017 and again in 2021. Close, but never enough. Add round-of-16 exits in 2019 and 2023, and the picture becomes painfully clear.
This is a giant that hasn’t slept. It’s been pacing.
Back home, the pressure is impossible to ignore. Egypt’s population has crossed 120 million, and football remains the shared language. Afcon commercials dominate television. Billboards carry the same short demand: “We want the eighth star.” It’s less a slogan and more a plea, you know.
One widely shared telecom advert leans into satire, showing just how much time has passed since the last title. It’s funny. And also not funny at all.
Mohamed Salah, again, at the center of everything
Every Egyptian Afcon story eventually circles back to one man: Mohamed Salah.
Now in his early thirties, Salah enters Afcon 2025 with the kind of résumé most players dream about. European titles. Individual awards. Records. Fame that stretches far beyond Africa. Yet, with Egypt, his story remains unfinished.
He has come close. So close it hurts.
In 2017, he scored in the final. Egypt lost. In 2021, he dragged a tired side through extra time after extra time, only to fall at the final hurdle again. Tears followed. Silence too.
This tournament feels different, though. Not louder. Not flashier. Just heavier.
Salah is no longer the rising star. He’s the reference point. Teammates look to him instinctively. Opponents plan entire games around stopping him. Coaches speak his name carefully, almost respectfully.
But Egypt know the truth. One player, even one this good, can’t do it alone.
That’s been the lesson, repeated again and again.
Still, if there’s a moment for Salah to finally stamp Afcon with his signature, this feels like it. The clock, after all, doesn’t pause.
Hossam Hassan and a tournament that allows no excuses
The man on the touchline knows pressure better than most.
Hossam Hassan, one of Egypt’s greatest-ever strikers, is now living a different version of the same dream. As head coach, he walks into Afcon 2025 knowing patience is in short supply.
This is not a rebuilding tournament. Not publicly, at least.
Hassan was appointed with a clear mission: restore authority. His approach has been direct. Less talk. Fewer experiments. A focus on structure, intensity, and pride. Old-school, some say. Necessary, others argue.
The squad reflects that thinking. A mix of experienced campaigners and players who’ve lived through recent heartbreaks. There’s depth, yes, but also questions.
Can Egypt control matches without relying too much on Salah?
Can they defend transitions better than in previous editions?
And can they manage games when nerves kick in?
One thing is certain. A poor start would change the mood quickly.
Afcon doesn’t wait. It never has.
Morocco, memories, and a continent watching closely
There’s something poetic about Egypt chasing redemption on Moroccan soil.
The host nation opened the tournament with a win, setting the tone early. Stadiums are full. Atmosphere is thick. Every match feels like an event, not just a fixture.
For Egypt, Morocco brings mixed memories. Familiar faces. Familiar pressure. And familiar rivals lurking deeper in the draw.
Group B might look manageable on paper, but Afcon laughs at paper logic. Zimbabwe won’t roll over. Other contenders are watching closely, waiting for cracks.
Here’s what shapes Egypt’s early Afcon landscape:
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A group opener that demands focus, not flair
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A fan base that celebrates wins and questions everything else
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A knockout path that leaves no room for slow starts
One bad half can rewrite the entire tournament narrative. It’s that tight.
Numbers, records, and the weight of expectation
Stats don’t win trophies, but they do tell stories.
Egypt have reached the Afcon final nine times, more than any other nation. They’ve won seven. Lost two. That success rate still intimidates opponents, even now.
Yet, the recent numbers sting. No Afcon title since 2010. Two finals lost in the last four appearances. And only one semifinal finish outside those runs since their return.
Meanwhile, the tournament itself has changed. Squads are deeper across Africa. Tactical levels have risen. Smaller nations are no longer content with brave defeats. They want wins. Period.
Egypt know this. The players feel it in every challenge, every duel.
There’s belief, yes. But it’s cautious belief. The kind that’s been burned before.
