Egypt U-23 and Al Ahly midfielder Nasser Maher has stated that the team acknowledges the big capabilities of their Olympics group rivals Argentina and Spain but stressed that they are focused on themselves.
Egypt is finalising preparation for the Tokyo Olympics as Shawky Gharib’s men qualified for the tournament after their U-23 AFCON triumph in 2019.
The Pharaohs were placed in Group C, aka Group of Death, alongside European champions Spain, Argentina, and Australia.
The Pharaohs are currently holding a closed training camp as they are set to face South Africa in two friendlies, in preparation for the finals which start July 21. However, Egypt will have their first game on July 22 against the Spaniards.
“There is definitely a healthy competition between the players to book a place in the squad [for Olympics]. All players deserve to be there but the final word is for Shawky Gharib [Egypt coach],” Maher told the Egyptian Football Association website.
“Our objectives in the Olympics are clear: We want to achieve a medal and not to just participate in the tournament. Of course Spain and Argentina are big names but we only focus on ourselves and we work hard just like we did against Brazil.”
