Hany Said: Ziko Could Be Egypt’s ‘Golden Substitute’ in World Cup

Hany Said, a former star of Egyptian football, has emphasized that Mustafa Ziko possesses the qualities necessary to make a significant impact with the national team during the 2026 World Cup, following his impressive performance in the recent friendly match against Russia.

During his appearance on the program “Ya Masaa El Anwar” hosted by Medhat Shalaby on MBC Masr 2, Said stated that Ziko has firmly established his credentials with the national squad, predicting he could become one of Egypt’s key players in the tournament.

Said remarked, “Ziko will play a role for Egypt in the World Cup based on his performance against Russia; however, he may not be a starting player. I see him as comparable to Mohamed Nagy ‘Gedo’ during the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations when he became the team’s golden substitute.”.

He further noted that Ziko possesses substantial technical abilities that qualify him for success on an international level, asserting that there is not much difference between him and Omar Marmoush in terms of skill, making him an important option for the coaching staff during matches.

Said continued, “Ziko has high technical qualities and is not very different from Omar Marmoush. He will be a good substitute who can make a difference in critical moments.”.

Reflecting on his memories of facing Brazil during the Confederations Cup, Said mentioned that there was initial anxiety among the Egyptian team in the early minutes before their performance improved significantly over time.

He said, “In the first 10 minutes against Brazil, there was a sense of anxiety; however, we gradually found our rhythm and performed strongly against one of the best teams in the world.”.

Said added that legendary coach Hassan Shehata was dissatisfied with their first-half performance, which affected his discussions with the players during halftime.

He explained, “Coach Hassan Shehata was upset at halftime due to our performance and urged us to improve and trust our abilities. Indeed, we showed better form in the second half and were close to achieving a positive result.”.

Regarding Egypt’s match schedule in the World Cup, Hany Said expressed reservations about starting with a game against Belgium. He believes facing a stronger opponent at the beginning could place additional pressure on the team.

Said said, “I think it would have been better to face a less technically strong team at the start because losing the first match could create an internal crisis within the team. In contrast, winning two initial matches before facing a stronger opponent later would help secure qualification more comfortably.”.

He concluded by stressing that positive results at the beginning of the tournament provide players with significant morale boosts and help increase confidence and ambition for subsequent matches leading into knockout stages.