The Egyptian Football Federation has confirmed that Egypt’s national football team will face Botswana at the Air Defense Stadium, following the temporary closure of Cairo International Stadium.
The decision comes as the iconic venue undergoes essential winter maintenance, including pitch re-seeding, rendering it unavailable for upcoming fixtures.
Egypt’s head coach, Hossam Hassan, will lead his team against Botswana on November 19, marking the final, sixth-round match in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The Egyptian squad is poised to showcase new talent, having already clinched qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with an impressive record—four consecutive wins, accumulating a perfect 12 points.
Egypt’s national team is also set to face Cape Verde in November, scheduled between November 11 and 19.
The two upcoming fixtures will take place during the fifth and sixth rounds of the AFCON qualifiers, and Hassan is expected to use these matches to assess emerging players and freshen up the team lineup.
Hossam Hassan expressed optimism about integrating new players: “We want to take advantage of these last two rounds to test a number of new faces,” he stated.
With the team’s qualification secured, Hassan and his coaching staff see this as an opportune moment to evaluate potential talents ahead of the 2025 tournament.
In a strategic move, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is anticipated to be absent from the upcoming training camp, granting the player a much-needed rest.
This decision also opens up opportunities for other forwards to step into key attacking roles, giving the coaching staff a chance to identify strong additions to the team’s forward line.
The federation’s decision to utilize Air Defense Stadium as an alternative venue underscores their commitment to ensuring that Egypt’s national team remains prepared for upcoming continental challenges.
