Egypt's Arab Cup Quest: Five Appearances, One Title, and a Doha Dream
29 November 2025
Egypt's Arab Cup Journey
Egypt's second national team heads to the Arab Cup in Doha, between December 1 and 18, 2025, drawn into Group 3 with Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
They open on December 2 against Kuwait at Lusail Stadium, then face the UAE on December 6 at the same venue, before finishing the group stage on December 9 against Jordan at Al Bayt Stadium.
The Arab Cup returns with 16 teams in its 11th edition and a total prize pool of $36.5 million; Egypt has appeared six times and has won the title only once.
Egypt's participation in the Arab Cup began in 1988 in Jordan under coach Fouad Sedqi. They topped their group with seven points (wins over Tunisia and Lebanon and draws with Saudi Arabia and Iraq) before losing to Syria on penalties in the semifinal, then beating Jordan for third place.
The best performance came in 1992 in Aleppo, when Egypt's second team, supported by stars from the main squad and led by the late Mahmoud El-Gohary, topped their group and beat Syria in the semifinal before defeating Saudi Arabia 3-2 in the final, a match featuring goals from Sami Shishini, Ahmed El-Kass and Hossam Hassan.
In 1998 and 2012, Egypt appeared with youth and Olympic teams; results were modest—one win for the youth squad against Syria, and the Olympic side with two draws against Sudan and Lebanon and a defeat to Iraq.
In the 2021 edition in Qatar, Egypt competed with a secondary squad under Carlos Queiroz, delivering strong performances by topping their group with seven points (wins over Lebanon and Sudan, and a draw with Algeria), then overturning a deficit against Jordan to win 3-1 after extra time in the quarterfinals. Their campaign ended in a 1-0 semifinal loss to Tunisia, followed by a penalty defeat to Qatar in the third-place match, leaving the Pharaohs fourth overall.
Punchline 1: If football were a sniper rifle, Egypt's attack would be precise—just not always on target.
Punchline 2: In Doha, goals are currency, and Egypt's bankers are patient; the interest time is running out, but the balance sheet looks dramatic.
