Egyptian volleyball team reaches Mediterranean Games’ semis

CAIRO – 28 June 2018: Egyptian volleyball team defeated Turkey 3-0 at the volleyball competitions at the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, Spain.

Egypt dominated the game and they were the better side in the three sets to win the game 3-0.

Egypt will face Italy at the semi-finals on Friday, hoping to win and earn a spot at the final, while the hosts, Spain, will fight Greece for the other place at the final.

The Egyptian team's manager, Mohamed Mselhy, hopes to lead the national team to the gold medal and repeat Egypt’s achievement at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almeria, Spain.

Mselhy was in the 2005 national team squad that won the gold medal; they remain the only Egyptian team to win a gold medal in a first team international competition.
In 2005, Mselhy was accompanied by many great players like Hamdy el-Safy, Ossama Kemsan, Wael al-Aydy and Ashraf Aboul Hassan.

The 2005 Egyptian team played in group D alongside Spain and Croatia. Egypt lost against Spain the first match 3-0, but won the second match over Croatia 3-2, securing their ticket to the quarter finals.

Expectations rose after Egypt’s great performance against Greece with the 3-0 quarter final victory.

The semifinals were a tough set of games against European volleyball giants, Serbia. Egypt won the first two sets and lost the third, but the Egyptians’ will power led them to victory after winning the fourth set.

The final was a replay of the first match in the tournament against Spain, but Egypt finished with a different result.

Spain was confident of winning; Spain won the first and third sets and Egypt won the second and fourth sets, leading to a break set to determine the final winner.

Both teams shared control over the set, but the Egyptian team succeeded to win the set 18-16 in one of the most amazing achievements in Egyptian sports history.