Hegazi: We want to go as far as we can in Tokyo

Cairo-15 July 2021: Egypt U-23 national team captain Ahmed Hegazi believes that the team has a great group of players who can have a good run in the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.

 

Hegazi is one of the three over-aged players alongside Mahmoud El Wensh and Mohamed El Shenawy, who were chosen by the team's coach Shawki Gharib to support the team in the competition. 

 

"I am so happy that I was picked by the coaching staff. It is a huge honour for me to participate in the Olympics for the second time in my career after 2012 in London." Hegazi said. 

 

Gharib and his boys are targeting a historic participation in the competition and they hope to return to Cairo with a medal for the first time in the Egyptian football participation in the Olympics. 

 

The defender added "We have many good players in the team. We know that we will face big teams like Spain, Argentina and Australia in the group stage but we will take the games step by step. Our first target is to reach the second round. We will fight to go as far as we can in the competition." 

 

The Pharaohs will start their mission against  Spain on 22 July before facing Argentina three days later. Egypt's last group stage game will be played on 28 July against Australia.

 

Egypt qualified for the Olympics after clinching the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title at home in November 2019.

 

The Olympic Games in Tokyo will see the 12th appearance for the Egyptian football at the competition and the Pharaohs aim to secure a medal at the competition for the first time in the history.