Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt wrapped up their domestic preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a disciplined 1-0 victory over Russia on Thursday night, as Hossam Hassan’s side lifted the New Capital Cup in front of a lively crowd at Cairo International Stadium.
A second-half header from substitute Mostafa Ziko proved enough to separate the two sides in a competitive friendly that offered encouraging signs for the Pharaohs less than three weeks before the start of their World Cup campaign in the United States.
Hossam Hassan used the occasion to experiment with parts of his squad while maintaining the core of the team expected to feature at the tournament. Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem returned to the starting lineup after a lengthy injury absence, while Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” filled in for Mohamed Salah, who joined the squad late following club commitments.
Egypt controlled possession early and looked sharper in attack during the opening stages, with Emam Ashour nearly opening the scoring after finding space inside the penalty area before dragging his effort narrowly wide. Omar Marmoush also looked dangerous throughout the first half, repeatedly driving at the Russian defense with pace and movement that unsettled the visitors.
The Manchester City forward came closest midway through the half after producing an excellent solo run before firing a low shot inches past the post.
Russia gradually settled into the match and began threatening on counterattacks, particularly through Maksim Glushenkov and Ivan Oblyakov, but Egypt’s defensive line remained organized, with Abdelmonem and Yasser Ibrahim dealing comfortably with most attacks.
Hossam Hassan began rotating his squad before halftime, taking advantage of the friendly match regulations allowing extensive substitutions. Haissem Hassan, Ibrahim Adel and debutant Mostafa Ziko were all introduced as Egypt attempted to inject more energy into the attack heading into the second half.
The changes eventually paid off after the break as Egypt increased the tempo down the flanks, especially through right-back Mohamed Hany, who constantly pushed forward and stretched Russia’s defensive shape.
The decisive moment arrived in the 65th minute when Hany surged into space on the right side before delivering a precise cross into the box. Ziko timed his run perfectly and powered a close-range header beyond goalkeeper Stanislav Agkatsev to score his first international goal and hand Egypt the lead.
Egypt nearly doubled their advantage moments later as Marmoush continued causing problems before being substituted in the final twenty minutes as Hassan continued assessing his squad depth ahead of the final World Cup roster announcement.
Russia responded by making multiple substitutions of their own in search of an equalizer, with coach Valery Karpin throwing on fresh attacking options late in the match. Anton Miranchuk forced Mohamed El-Shenawy into a strong save from a free kick, while Glushenkov remained a threat on quick transitions, but Egypt defended confidently during the closing stages.
The victory also carried symbolic significance for the Pharaohs, coming eight years after Russia defeated Egypt 3-1 during the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage, a match remembered for Mohamed Salah’s return from injury in that tournament.
Egypt will now travel to the United States for a final warm-up match against Brazil in Cleveland on June 6 before opening their World Cup campaign against Belgium on June 15 in Seattle.
The Pharaohs have been drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand as they prepare for their first World Cup appearance since 2018.
