Egypt Star Hits Back at Moroccan Player’s Criticism Ahead of AFCON Opener

"Egypt, which has won seven AFCONs, does not produce great play, but it is a team that manages. You can dominate, but they can score the 1-0 goal on a set piece, and then a player falls to the right, another to the left," said Azzedine Ounahi, a semi-finalist of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, in an interview with La Provence. A statement that Egyptian international Mostafa Mohamed will comment on at the pre-match press conference before Egypt’s debut at the 2024 AFCON against Mozambique (this Sunday at 6pm).

"I have not heard or seen any statement from a Moroccan player, but if he said that, our history and our figures speak for themselves," reacted the FC Nantes striker. And he added: "We have won the title 7 times and, God willing, we will achieve it for the eighth time. If he thinks that this approach brings victory, I invite him to play like us and win titles." Morocco, which has won the title only once in 1976, will take the field on Wednesday, January 17 against Tanzania at the Laurent Pokou stadium in San Pedro.

Regarding the match against Mozambique, Mostafa Mohamed said: "The beginnings are critical. Our start in the previous AFCON was not good, but we corrected the mistakes, improved and continued the journey. Unfortunately, luck was ultimately not on our side. [...] The match against Mozambique is extremely hard. Football has evolved a lot in the world, especially in Africa. There are no more easy matches."

The Egyptian international is counting on his teammate Mohamed Salah to go far in the tournament. "We are lucky to have Mohamed Salah with us. We try to take advantage of him to please the fans. He is a great player and a true leader, who advises us on and off the field, given his experiences throughout his career."