By Elume Raymond
Egypt, the most decorated nation in Africa Cup of Nations history, begin their 2025 AFCON campaign with a Group B encounter against underdogs Zimbabwe on matchday one. The sides meet at Stade Adrar in Agadir on Monday, with kick-off scheduled for 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT).
Hossam Hassan’s Pharaohs arrive as one of the tournament favorites and will be keen to avoid an early stumble against the Warriors, who bring an element of uncertainty after a recent change on the bench, with Mario Marinica replacing Michael Nees last month.
This fixture marks the 14th meeting between Egypt and Zimbabwe. The Pharaohs have largely dominated the rivalry, winning eight of the previous 13 encounters, alongside four draws and just one Zimbabwe victory. Egypt have also won each of the last six meetings and are unbeaten in their last 10 matches against the Warriors (W7, D3).
Their only two clashes at AFCON finals both came in opening matches — in 2004 and 2019 — and on each occasion Egypt emerged victorious. In their AFCON debut in 2004, Zimbabwe briefly led through Peter Ndlovu in Sfax, but goals from Tamer Abdel Hamid and Mohamed Barakat secured a 2–1 comeback win for Egypt. Fifteen years later, hosts Egypt again prevailed, edging Zimbabwe 1–0 in Cairo, with Mahmoud Trezeguet scoring the decisive goal.
Zimbabwe’s lone victory over Egypt dates back to 1992, when they claimed a 2–1 home win in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Egypt have since enjoyed the upper hand, including a 4–2 victory in Harare in 2013, a match remembered for Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick, despite Knowledge Musona finding the net for Zimbabwe.
The Pharaohs have scored at least twice in five of their last six meetings with the Warriors, underlining their attacking superiority. Current Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan also knows the opponent well, having faced Zimbabwe four times as a player, recording two wins, one draw and one defeat.
Match Preview
Seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt cruised through qualifying unbeaten (W4, D2) and head into the 2025 finals as one of the competition’s leading contenders. Head coach Hossam Hassan is acutely aware of the pressure that accompanies the role, with the Pharaohs still searching for their first AFCON title since 2010. His appointment followed Rui Vitória’s dismissal after Egypt’s damaging last-16 exit to DR Congo at the 2023 edition.
Preparations have not been entirely convincing, however. Prior to a 2–1 warm-up win over Nigeria, Hassan’s side had gone five matches without a victory in 90 minutes (D3, L2). Even so, Egypt’s pedigree remains unquestioned. They reached the final in both 2017 and 2021, only to fall short against Cameroon and Senegal respectively, despite promising starts in both matches. Now at the helm of Africa’s most decorated national team, three-time AFCON winner Hassan is aiming to deliver the trophy he lifted as a player in 1986, 1998 and 2006, the last of which marked the beginning of Egypt’s historic three-title run.
Although much of the spotlight falls on hosts Morocco, Egypt arrive in North Africa carrying a heavy burden of expectation themselves. That weight rests particularly on Mohamed Salah, the captain and talisman, who enters AFCON 2025 as a seven-time champion nation’s standard-bearer. This is Salah’s fifth AFCON appearance and third as captain, and with the 33-year-old having fallen agonizingly short in 2017 and 2021, this tournament could represent his final opportunity to cement his legacy on the continental stage.
Egypt, though, must remain focused on the immediate task, especially against a Zimbabwe side undergoing transition. The Warriors arrive following a managerial change, with Mario Marinică replacing Michael Nees, a move that adds an element of unpredictability. Zimbabwe are making just their sixth AFCON appearance, having missed the 2023 tournament due to a FIFA suspension linked to government interference. After that ban was lifted, they secured qualification for 2025 as runners-up in their group (W2, D3, L1).
Their build-up has been far from ideal. A recent 2–1 friendly win over Qatar was only Zimbabwe’s second victory in 17 matches (D6, L9), a run that ultimately cost Nees his job. Offensive struggles were evident in qualifying, with the Warriors failing to score in their first two matches and relying on a Khama Billiat penalty to edge Namibia on matchday three. Notably, two of their six qualifying goals came from the spot, highlighting ongoing issues in chance creation.
That said, there are positives. Zimbabwe kept three clean sheets in qualifying, including one against five-time champions Cameroon, suggesting defensive resilience that could serve them well in tournament football. If the Warriors are to improve on their modest AFCON record of three wins, they will need to remain compact, seize rare opportunities, and hope the element of change works in their favor against one of Africa’s traditional heavyweights.
Head-to-Head History
Egypt have won each of the last six H2Hs and are unbeaten in the last nine meetings overall (W7, D2).
Egypt form (all competitions):
W W W L D W
Zimbabwe form (all competitions):
L L D L L W
Team News
Egypt will be forced to cope without Hamdy Fathy, who is sidelined with a muscle injury, but otherwise arrive at the tournament close to full strength. Hossam Hassan is expected to favor a 3-4-3 formation, a system designed to stretch the pitch, encourage attacking fluidity out wide, and maintain control through the center of the field.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, are without Brendan Galloway and Marvelous Nakamba, two absences that strip the side of valuable experience and physical presence. Mario Marinică is likely to organize his team in a compact 4-4-2, prioritizing defensive structure and quick transitions. The Warriors are expected to focus on positional discipline and containment, rather than committing numbers forward in prolonged spells of possession.
Possible starting line-ups
Egypt:
El Shenawy; Hany, Rabia, Hamdi; Saber, Attia, Elneny, Fotouh; Salah, Mohamed, Trezeguet
Zimbabwe:
Chipezeze; Murwira, Garananga, Hadebe, Lunga; Antonio, Fusire, Fabisch, Msemdani; Dube, Navaya
Hot Stats and Streaks
- Both teams found the net in four of Egypt’s last five matches.
- Zimbabwe have failed to score first in each of their last six games.
- Mohamed Salah has scored seven of his last ten goals for Egypt after half-time, including both of his strikes during qualifying.
- Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa has three international goals, all scored either within the opening five minutes or the final five minutes of a match.
- Egypt have reached the AFCON final in five of their last seven appearances, winning three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010, and finishing runners-up in 2017 and 2021.
- Zimbabwe have contested 15 AFCON matches, recording three wins, two draws and ten defeats.
- At AFCON tournaments hosted in North Africa, Egypt exited at the group stage in 1988, 1990 and 2004, progressing further only at the 1994 edition in Tunisia.
- Zimbabwe have never advanced beyond the group stage at AFCON.
- Egypt boast a strong opening-match record at AFCON: P26 W17 D3 L6, a 67% win rate.
- Zimbabwe have never won their opening AFCON fixture (D1, L4).
- Egypt have lost just one of their last 22 AFCON group-stage matches (W14, D7).
- Zimbabwe’s only AFCON victory at the 2021 edition came against Guinea in their final group match.
- Egypt are unbeaten in their last ten AFCON matches in open play (W3, D7).
- All three of Zimbabwe’s AFCON victories have ended 2–1, each coming in a final group-stage fixture.