Mohamed Abdelmonem made his first start for Nice in a 3-2 friendly win against Ajaccio during the international break.
Mohamed Abdelmonem, who joined Nice from Al Ahly at the end of August, made his official debut for the club last week after coming off the bench in a 4-1 victory over Angers.
The 25-year-old requested not to join up with the national team this break to acclimatize to his new surroundings in France, having not gone through the pre-season with Nice as well as him not being fit enough yet.
His recent transfer and adaptation abilities have already been put to the test as he started for manager Franck Haise in a friendly against Ajaccio.
Nice took an early lead, scoring all three of their goals within the first 15 minutes. Badredine Bouanani opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, followed by Jeremy Boga’s strike in the 11th minute. Youssoufa Moukoko added the third goal in the 14th minute, rounding off a dominant start for the Eaglets.
Abdelmonem played in defence alongside 40-year-old Brazilian Dante and youngster Antoine Mendy, with backup keeper Maxime Dupé starting between the sticks.
The Egyptian national team, meanwhile, began their 2025 AFCON qualifiers with a strong 3-0 win over Cape Verde, topping their group that also includes Mauritania and Botswana, who have yet to play.
Egypt’s next qualifier will be an away match against Botswana on September 10.
