Presidential Toast and Grand Welcome as Egypt's Handball Team Seals African Triumph
31 January 2026
Presidential Praise and a Grand Welcome
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi congratulated Egypt's handball team on winning the African Championship title, after beating Tunisia 37-24 on Saturday.
The Pharaohs collected the continental trophy for the fourth straight time and the tenth overall, marking them as the tournament's most decorated.
In a post on X, the president wrote: "Congratulations to Egypt's handball team on this great achievement, winning the Africa Cup for the tenth time and the fourth in a row, a testament to determination and to Egypt's standing among the continent's greats and beyond".
He added, "I am proud of you and I pray that these victories continue to bring joy to our great people".
By contrast, Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy expressed sincere thanks to the president for the congratulation.
He explained that successive successes of the national teams, led by the handball squad, came from the president's directives to provide full support, improve sports infrastructure, and create the right climate to win titles and raise Egypt's name on the world stage.
It was announced that Sobhy will welcome the Egyptian squad at Cairo Airport on Sunday.
Ambassador Hanan Shahin, Egypt's envoy to Rwanda, met the team and honored the heroes in the presence of Medhat Beltagy, vice president of the African Handball Confederation, and Khalid Fathy, president of the Egyptian Handball Union.
President of the Egyptian Handball Federation stated that Egypt's team deserved the African title, thanks to the high level they displayed throughout the tournament and their strong on-field personality from the opening game to the final.
He praised the team’s spirit and discipline, emphasizing that the drive and will to win defined the Pharaohs’ tournament journey.
The squad features some of handball’s brightest talents, along with a world-class coaching staff led by Spanish coach Javier Pascual.
Egypt claimed most individual awards: Mohamed Ali as best goalkeeper, Ahmed Hisham "Sisa" as best left wing, Ahmed Hisham "Dodo" as best left back, Mohamed Emad "Oka" as best right wing, and Yahya Khaled as best player and best right wing.
Yahya Khaled also earned the tournament’s best player and best right wing awards.
Punchlines: "If defense wins championships, Egypt just hired a wall; and if sarcasm counted, my jokes would need a goalkeeper to save them from red cards."
Punchlines 2: "Turns out the only thing faster than Egypt’s counter-attack is the national pride sprinting to the podium—talk about home-field advantage with a trophy cabinet expansion plan."
