AFCON 2025: Teamwork will see Egypt past Benin – Trezeguet

Egypt forward Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan has stressed that collective effort, rather than individual brilliance, will be decisive when the Pharaohs face Benin in their Round of 16 clash at the 1XBET Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025.

The knockout encounter is scheduled for Monday in Agadir, with Egypt aiming to maintain their strong form from the group stage.

Despite boasting star players such as Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet insists that Egypt’s real strength lies in unity and shared responsibility.

“Within the team, there is no player better than another. We all play for one objective. We are defending our country and our flag,” Trezeguet said at the pre-match press conference.

That team-first approach powered Egypt through the group phase, where they finished top with seven points from two wins and a draw. Their final group game—a 0–0 draw against Angola—underlined the squad’s depth, as head coach Hossam Hassan rotated his entire starting XI.

“I have a group of 28 players and I am very satisfied with all of them,” Hassan said.

Egypt head into the knockout stage with a clear target, as Trezeguet noted that every match at AFCON 2025 carries the same weight.

“It will be an important match against a good Benin team. The technical staff has put everything in place for us to deliver a strong performance, and we are ready to make the Egyptian people happy,” added Trezeguet, who has featured for 147 minutes in two matches so far.

Record seven-time AFCON champions, Egypt are still searching for their first continental title since 2010. Final defeats in 2017 and 2021 remain fresh memories, further fueling the team’s hunger.

“Our objective is to win the competition,” Trezeguet concluded.