Egypt host New Zealand in a FIFA Series encounter at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday, keen to get off to a positive start under Hossam Hassan.
The Pharaohs appointed the Egyptian football legend as Rui Vitoria's replacement after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations, and the All Whites hope to rain on the new manager's parade.
Match preview
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Egypt felt a change was inevitable after the AFCON 2023 favourites were eliminated in the round of 16 by DR Congo on penalties, disappointing supporters who sought an eighth continental crown.
The upshot of that underperformance was jettisoning the former Benfica boss and appointing a national team treasure, Hassan, the Pharaohs' record goalscorer and a three-time Cup of Nations winner.
Whether that elicits a positive response remains to be seen, even if the reaction to Hassan's appointment has been optimistic for supporters who have endured a couple of early exits in two of the last four editions.
While they ended runners-up at AFCONs 2017 and 2021, Hassan hopes to begin his tenure positively with another continental showpiece to be held in 2025 and World Cup qualification a target.
The Pharaohs have a decent record in friendly games, losing one in their last eight (six wins) and falling to just two losses in 14 matches (11 victories), giving the home support confidence in their team's motivation in the exhibition match.
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As for New Zealand, their recent form in all competitions does not bode well for their prospects on Friday, underscored by a run of one triumph in 12 competitive or non-competitive fixtures.
Seven have ended in defeat, pointing to an eighth for the All Whites, whose results in friendly matches leave much to be desired — 11 of the above-mentioned 12 games have been non-competitive.
Friday's match with Egypt is New Zealand's last tune-up fixture before Darren Bazeley's men begin their OFC Nations Cup campaign against New Caledonia in June, giving him the final chance to learn anything new about his side before competitive action resumes in a few months.
An area of improvement is in front of goal, where the All Whites have netted more than one goal just once in their preceding 12 matches.
Given that goals in games, New Zealand need match-winning quality and execution to avoid another disappointment in Cairo.
Friday's encounter is a late addition to the pilot phase of the FIFA Series, seeing teams from different confederations square up in exhibition games keen to unlock technical development opportunities previously unavailable to many of them.
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Team News
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Mohamed Salah reportedly asked to be excluded from the Egypt squad, continuing doubts about the Liverpool star's commitment to the national team; Hussein El-Shahat and Mohamed Elneny are not in the squad because of injury.
Despite being Egypt's top scorer at AFCON 2023, Mostafa Mohamed struggled as Nantes battle for Ligue 1 survival, seeing his output drop significantly — one goal and an assist in seven appearances since Cup of Nations duty.
Chris Wood is a household name due to his Premier League presence, and the Nottingham Forest striker hopes to make an impact as New Zealand seek to halt their poor results.
Kosta Barbarouses and Dane Ingham are back in the squad after missing the previous international break, but Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne has withdrawn from the team because of injury.
Egypt possible starting lineup:
Gabal; Hany, Hegazy, Abdelmonem, Fotouh; Ashour, Attia, Fathi; Marmoush, Mohamed, Trezeguet
New Zealand possible starting lineup:
Crocombe; Bindon, Pijnaker, Bindon, Ingham; Garbett, Bell, Stamenic; McCowatt, Wood, Barbarouses
We say: Egypt 2-1 New Zealand
Egypt should have too much for their visitors, who come into this one on the back of an awful streak of results in friendly games. By contrast, the Pharaohs are near perfect in exhibition matches, giving the hosts the edge in Hassan's first game in charge.
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