Egypt have opened their 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw with Niger.
The 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations is currently being held in Morocco from 24 June to 8 July, with Egypt entering as the defending champions.
The competition act as a qualifier for the 2024 Summer Olympics as the finalists and third-place playoff winner make the tournament in Paris, while the 4th-placed team will enter the AFC–CAF playoff to decide the final Olympic slot.
Egypt were drawn in Group B alongside Mali, Gabon, and Niger, and unfortunately couldn’t get into a winning start against the latter.
The Pharaohs played out a 0-0 draw with Niger, having hit the woodwork incredibly five times, before eventually settling for the point.
Egypt XI: Hamza Alaa, Ahmed Eid, Mohamed Tarek, Hossam Abdelmegiud, Mohamed Ashraf; Ahmed Atef, Ahmed Nabil Kouka, Mohamed Shehata, Mahmoud Saber; Osama Faisal, Ibrahim Adel.
The Pharaohs dominated the first-half, hitting the crossbar twice through Ibrahim Adel in the 29th and 42nd minutes, while the Niger goalkeeper denied the Egyptian players a couple of times as well.
Four minutes into the second-half, Ibrahim Adel hit the woodwork for a third time, before Egypt manager Rogério Micale brought on Mostafa Saad and Hatem Sokkar for Ahmed Atef and Mohamed Ashraf.
In the 69th minute, Osama Faisal’s header rebounded off the bar following a cross from Sokkar, before the Egyptians hit the post for a fifth time, this time through Mostafa Saad in the 78th minute.
Ali Zaaza, Mohamed Maghrabi, and Mahmoud Gehad all came on in the final ten minutes, but luck didn’t side with the Young Pharaohs for the game to end in a 0-0 draw.
Meanwhile, Mali secured a 3-1 win over Gabon to top the group ahead of their upcoming clash with Egypt on June 28.
