Egypt’s youth side secure North Africa title after ‘decisive’ Algeria win

Egypt Under-20 captain Mohamed Haitham said their 2-0 victory over Algeria was “decisive” for an entire generation of 23,000 players.

The result secured Egypt the North Africa Youth Championship and confirmed their place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 tournament in Ghana.

Speaking to On Sport, Haitham said the squad understood the significance of their final match after losing to Morocco.

“After the defeat by Morocco, we told ourselves that the Algeria match would be decisive because 23,000 players from the 2007 and 2008 age groups were watching it, hoping that this generation would remain involved in the major competitions,” he said.

“We ultimately played a big match and managed to win the title. What comes next will be more difficult, but we will try to achieve something greater in Ghana and play to win the Africa Cup of Nations.”

The victory gave Egypt their fourth North Africa title, following their successes in 2006, 2008 and 2012.

It also secured a third consecutive appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 tournament and their 20th qualification overall. The 2027 edition will be held in Ghana.

Egypt began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Libya before beating Tunisia 2-1. They then suffered a 2-0 defeat by Morocco but recovered to defeat Algeria 2-0 in the final round.

They finished top of the standings with nine points, two ahead of Morocco, who came second and also qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 tournament.

Algeria ended the competition in third place with four points, ahead of Libya on goal difference, while Tunisia finished bottom with three points.

Egypt’s latest success represents a significant improvement on their recent North Africa Championship results. They finished third in 2023 and were runners-up in 2024.

The title is also the first of Wael Riyad’s managerial career.