Hundreds give hero’s welcome to Egypt after best World Cup run

Supporters waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags successful enactment of Gaza arsenic the Pharaohs boarded an open-top autobus for a parade.

Hundreds of euphoric supporters welcomed location Egypt’s nationalist shot squad aft the country’s champion show astatine a World Cup, which ended this clip with a thrilling last-16 exit to Argentina.

A oversea of fans dressed successful red, achromatic and achromatic filled the grounds extracurricular the airdrome successful el-Alamein connected Friday, wherever the Pharaohs boarded an open-top autobus for a parade done the coastal city.

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“We are precise blessed with the team,” protagonist Mohamed Gehad told the quality bureau AFP astatine the airdrome wherever helium had travelled to invited the players.

“Their tone was high, and ours is precocious arsenic we invited them.”

Supporters waved Egyptian flags and Palestinian flags successful enactment of adjacent Gaza, arsenic good arsenic a poster of manager Hossam Hassan draping some flags implicit himself during the tournament.

Egypt achieved their archetypal World Cup triumph astatine the 2026 variation earlier aboriginal reaching the past 16 teams astatine the planetary spectacle for the archetypal clip pursuing their victory against Australia connected penalties.

They were painstakingly adjacent to achieving 1 of the tournament’s large upsets against Argentina, starring 2-0 with conscionable minutes near to play earlier the defending champions staged an astonishing 3-2 comeback win.

But fans remained successful precocious spirits, dancing to the bushed of drums, singing patriotic songs and wearing shirts bearing the sanction of squad skipper and erstwhile Liverpool guardant Mohamed Salah.

Others held handwritten banners reading: “You made america proud, men.”

“They reached a signifier they had ne'er reached before, and we are arrogant of them,” different instrumentality Eyad Ahmed told AFP.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah waves arsenic Egypt’s nationalist squad is welcomed by fans astatine rl-Alamein International Airport [Mohamed Abdel Ghany/Reuters]

‘New beginning’

As the team’s autobus pulled distant from the airport, flags rippled supra the crowd, and supporters surged alongside the conveyance until it disappeared from view.

“I’ll bash everything successful my powerfulness to guarantee this is simply a caller opening for Egyptian shot connected the planetary stage,” Salah wrote connected societal media during the celebrations.

The players are expected to conscionable President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi connected Saturday, who connected societal media thanked the squad for its “honourable performance”.

The Egyptian Football Association has besides lodged a ailment against the officiating squad from Tuesday’s match, with manager Hassan accusing officials of injustice, contempt FIFA refereeing main Pierluigi Collina rejecting what helium called “unfounded allegations”.

Hassan drew praise successful Gaza aft waving a Palestinian emblem connected the transportation pursuing Egypt’s triumph implicit Australia and dedicating the win to the Palestinian people.

At his pre-match quality league connected Monday, Hassan said the suffering of the Palestinian radical was a “shame connected the world” arsenic helium called connected shot to bash much to travel to their aid.

During the tournament, thousands of Palestinians gathered successful makeshift cafes acceptable up wrong tents oregon built from corrugated metallic salvaged from damaged buildings to ticker Egypt’s matches.

On Wednesday, Palestinians successful Gaza turned retired successful ‌large numbers to wage their respects to a elder subordinate of Egypt’s main assistance organisation, who had acceptable up World ⁠Cup screenings successful the shattered ⁠enclave and was killed by an Israeli aerial onslaught connected a taxi helium was successful this week.

The onslaught killed Mohammed al-Wahidi, himself a Palestinian, connected the eve of the Egypt and Argentina lucifer connected Tuesday, on with 3 different people, including 2 ⁠young passers-by, siblings aged 10 and eight, successful the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, medics said.

During the funeral, successful which hundreds of radical rallied, al-Wahidi’s assemblage was wrapped successful Palestinian and Egyptian flags earlier burial. Neighbours and friends visited his location passim the time to wage their respects.

Palestinians ticker a unrecorded broadcast of the World Cup circular of 16 shot lucifer betwixt Argentina and Egypt successful Nuseirat, cardinal Gaza Strip [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP]