Egypt hopes to continue rise of African football with first-ever World Cup win against New Zealand

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — History is on the horizon for Egypt, a favorite in Sunday’s World Cup match against New Zealand. Not only could the 28th-ranked Pharaohs get their first World Cup win against the No. 83 All Whites, they also would be in strong position to make the knockout round.The match “is everything in our world for the moment,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said Saturday in comments translated from Arabic.Their pursuit of history is part of a larger surge in African soccer’s global standing.The expanded 48-team pool at this year’s tournament helped give African teams more representation and a chance to show they belong at the top level of international soccer. A record 10 teams are representing the continent at the World Cup, Egypt among them.“The national squads of Africa have proven their great performance many times at the World Cup, including this one,” Hassan said.

At the 2022 World Cup, Morocco made a memorable run to the semifinals.Other African teams have made their mark on this World Cup already, with Ghana and Ivory Coast winning their opening matches against Panama and Ecuador, respectively. Four African teams, including Egypt, played to a draw in their opening matches.