Raising the Flag: Egypt U17's Bold Quest vs Switzerland in Doha World Cup
13 November 2025
Road to the knockout stage
Egypt's head coach Ahmed Abdel Aziz, known as "Al Kas," said the team's goal is to keep their World Cup journey alive in Qatar by building a new generation both on and off the pitch.
In an AFP interview on the eve of the Round of 16 clash with Switzerland at the Aspire Academy in Doha, he described the match as tough since Switzerland has shown they are among the tournament's strongest sides, but we will give our best and hope to go far.
He added that he is proud of the players and hopes this generation will soon feature with their clubs' first teams.
Egypt booked a spot in the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams after opening with a 4-1 win over Haiti, drawing 1-1 with Venezuela, and suffering a 0-3 loss to England, finishing the group with four points.
Switzerland led Group Six with wins over Ivory Coast (4-1) and Mexico (3-1) and a goalless draw with Korea.
The journey and expectations
Kas, 60, said they were happy to reach the last 32 for the first time in 28 years and that the team aims to present a good image of Egyptian football.
The coach, who took charge in 2023 after leading Olympic Club and other clubs, noted that qualifying for the World Cup was not easy. We lost our first North Africa qualifier, then bounced back to win the group, then stumbled in the finals but qualified via the playoff, so the Haiti game was very hard and we focused on winning it.
“This generation is about building a different generation off the pitch as well as on it. They must understand competition and sport and value fan support.”
He also highlighted the support in Qatar, where stands have been filled by Egyptians who came to back a team whose players are mostly emerging talents for their clubs.
Egypt’s best result at the World Cup for Under-17 is the quarterfinal reached in 1997 on home soil. The article notes that Saudi Arabia won that edition in 1999, the Arab region’s only title at the tournament.
Morocco and Tunisia also advanced to the knockout rounds and would face USA and Austria, following Morocco’s record 16-0 win over New Caledonia in the group finale.
Kas joked that he told players they must beat England to avenge his own loss to the English national team in 1990, though the curse persisted, as he quipped.
“The England game was tough, but the team is learning and gaining experience,” he added. “We must build a generation that loves the sport and respects the fans.”
And as fans in Doha rally behind the youngsters, Kas stressed that this is a learning process for players who may soon appear in senior teams. “We will learn, we will grow,” he said.
Punchline 1: If building a generation is like writing a hit song, this coach is aiming for the chorus that actually scores.
Punchline 2: If these kids keep improving, defenders might need a map and a compass just to find the ball and the goal line.
