Egypt’s U-20 coach Osama Nabih highlights the team’s courageous approach as they gear up to face Morocco in the AFCON semifinal.
Egypt’s U-20 national team coach, Osama Nabih, has expressed confidence and determination as his squad prepares to face Morocco.
The match is scheduled to take place at the 30 June Stadium.
Fresh off a dramatic quarter-final victory over Ghana, which secured Egypt a spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
“This match is like an Arab final,” Nabih said during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.”
“Morocco is a strong and well-organised opponent. They’ve been impressive across all levels, and we must rise to the challenge.”
Egypt qualified for the semi-finals after a pulsating 2-2 draw with Ghana in regular time, eventually prevailing 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout.
The result not only kept their U20 AFCON dreams alive but also confirmed their return to the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time since 2011.
“The pressure of qualifying for the World Cup was massive,” Nabih admitted.
“Now that the players have done it, they’ve gained psychological stability. It gives them peace of mind to focus on playing their football.”
Nabih reflected on the competitiveness of the tournament, noting that Egypt were originally grouped with Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa before the draw was reshuffled.
Interestingly, all four sides now make up the semi-final line-up.
“It’s poetic in a way,” he said.
“All those teams have battled their way here through tough matches, and that says everything about their quality. It also shows the calibre of our preparation.”
Egypt will face a Moroccan side that edged Sierra Leone 1-0 after extra time in their quarter-final clash.
Midfield workhorse Ahmed Khaled “Kabaka,” who played a pivotal role in Egypt’s midfield during the group stage.
“We’ve made a vow to ourselves and the nation that we’ll fight until the end,” the skipper said. “Morocco are a tough opponent, but we’ve shown great character to get this far.”
Kabaka believes qualifying for the U-20 World Cup has given the squad an additional morale boost ahead of their biggest test yet.
“There’s a real sense of purpose in this team. The boys are determined to make Egypt proud.
The World Cup ticket gave us belief, and now we want to win the trophy.”
Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 18:00 GMT.
