Egypt Eyes Semis as Lasheen Returns and Hamdi Heads for Surgery Before Ivory Coast Clash
7 January 2026
Match Preview
Egypt received good news ahead of their Saturday quarterfinal against Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Pharaohs beat Benin 3-1 in the Round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals, while Ivory Coast defeated Burkina Faso 3-0 to set up the clash.
Team News and Injuries
During Wednesday's training, midfielder Mohand Lasheen returned to full participation after recovering from a rib knock against Angola.
Lasheen's readiness was confirmed ahead of the Ivory Coast clash.
Egypt will be without left-back Mohamed Hamdi after he tore his ACL in the Benin match.
Hamdi is due to fly to Germany within hours to undergo surgery after a consultation with a knee specialist.
Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet" has begun rehabilitation after an ankle ligament injury.
Despite his absence from the Ivory Coast game, the coaching staff led by Hossam Hassan hopes he will be fit for the semi-final if Egypt advance.
The training session also saw Hany Abou Rida, federation president, along with board member Hamada Al-Sharbini and Mustafa Abu Zahra, head of delegation.
Punchline 1: If football were a sniper contest, Egypt would hit bullseyes with every pass—quiet, precise, and deadly accurate.
Punchline 2: And if Ivory Coast thinks this is in the bag, the whistle comes with a laser sight guiding the shots.
