Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt begin their campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday with a group-stage opener against Zimbabwe, as the continent’s most decorated national team looks to lay down an early marker in Morocco.
The match will be played at Adrar Stadium in the city of Agadir, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. GMT). It is one of three fixtures taking place on Monday as the tournament gathers momentum, alongside Mali’s clash with Zambia in Casablanca and South Africa’s meeting with Angola in Marrakech.
The AFCON 2025 finals, hosted by Morocco, will run until January 18, 2026, bringing together Africa’s top national teams in what is expected to be one of the most competitive editions of the tournament in recent years.
For Egypt, the opening match represents an important test of readiness under head coach Hossam Hassan, as the Pharaohs aim to challenge for a record-extending eighth continental title. Egypt remain the most successful team in Africa Cup of Nations history, having won the tournament seven times since its inception in the 1950s. They also hold records for the most matches played, victories achieved, and goals scored in the competition.
Despite this storied history, Egypt arrive in Morocco amid a more uncertain atmosphere than in past tournaments. Preparations have been overshadowed by criticism in the Egyptian media directed at both the coaching staff and the football association’s management. Once the team every opponent feared, Egypt now face a much stronger and deeper field, and are widely seen as one of several contenders rather than the outright favorite. Hosts Morocco are considered the team to beat on home soil.
Egypt have been drawn into Group B, where they face Zimbabwe first before more demanding encounters against South Africa and Angola. Securing three points in the opening match is viewed as crucial, as it would significantly boost Egypt’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage, either as one of the top two teams in the group or among the four best third-placed finishers.
On paper, Egypt hold a clear historical advantage over Zimbabwe. The two sides have met 13 times, with the Pharaohs winning eight matches, drawing four, and losing just once. They have also faced each other twice at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Egypt emerging victorious on both occasions a 2–1 win in 2004 and a narrow 1–0 victory in 2019.
Recent form has also offered Egypt a morale boost. In their final warm-up ahead of the tournament, they recorded a confidence-boosting friendly win over Nigeria, a result that has lifted spirits within the squad led by Mohamed Salah.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, enter the tournament looking to defy expectations and capitalize on any Egyptian uncertainty. While they are considered underdogs, opening matches at major tournaments have often produced surprises, adding further significance to Monday’s encounter.
As Egypt step onto the pitch in Agadir, the focus will be on delivering a convincing performance that restores confidence and reinforces their ambitions. A winning start may not guarantee a deep run, but failure to secure three points could complicate the Pharaohs’ path in an already challenging group.
