Egypt vs Zimbambwe

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) continues its opening week in Morocco as the record seven-time champions, Egypt, begin their quest for an eighth star against Zimbabwe.¹ This Group B encounter, scheduled for Monday, December 22, 2025, at the Stade Adrar in Agadir, is a high-stakes fixture that could set the tone for the rest of the tournament.²

For Egypt, this tournament represents a critical juncture for Mohamed Salah, who is looking to crown his legendary career with the one trophy that has eluded him.³ For Zimbabwe, the "Warriors" arrive with a point to prove after a turbulent qualifying campaign and a recent managerial change.⁴

Egypt: The Pharaohs’ Pursuit of an Eighth Star

Under the management of legendary striker Hossam Hassan, Egypt enters AFCON 2025 as one of the clear favorites.⁵ Their qualifying campaign was a masterclass in efficiency, as they finished top of their group with 14 points and a goal difference of $+10$. The "Pharaohs" have combined their traditional defensive solidity with a new, more direct attacking threat.

All eyes are inevitably on Mohamed Salah. Despite recent club-level turbulence at Liverpool, the Egyptian captain remains the heart of this national side.⁶ However, unlike previous editions, Salah is no longer the sole source of danger. The emergence of Omar Marmoush (now at Manchester City) as a world-class winger and the consistent goal-scoring form of Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes) has made Egypt a multi-dimensional attacking force.⁷

Zimbabwe: The Warriors’ New Dawn

Zimbabwe’s journey to Morocco has been anything but smooth. After a managerial switch just weeks before the tournament—with Mario Marinica replacing Michael Nees—the Warriors are somewhat of an enigma. Despite the disruption, Zimbabwe has shown a "fighting spirit" that makes them dangerous underdogs.

The squad relies heavily on veteran leadership and European experience. Marvelous Nakamba remains the midfield anchor, while the 35-year-old Knowledge Musona continues to defy age as the team’s primary creative outlet.⁸ Zimbabwe’s objective in Agadir will be simple: survive the initial Egyptian onslaught, remain compact in a low block, and look to exploit Tino Kadewere’s pace on the break.

Team News and Projected Lineups

Egypt Team News

Hossam Hassan has a nearly fully fit squad to choose from. The only selection headache revolves around the goalkeeper position, where the experienced Mohamed El-Shenawy is expected to get the nod over the rising star Mostafa Shobeir.⁹

• Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): El-Shenawy; Mohamed Hany, Rami Rabia, Hossam Abdel-Maguid, Mohamed Hamdy; Marwan Attia, Hamdi Fathi; Mohamed Salah, Emam Ashour, Omar Marmoush; Mostafa Mohamed.

Zimbabwe Team News

Zimbabwe is dealing with the notable absence of Andy Rinomhota, who withdrew for personal reasons, and Marshall Munetsi, who was a surprise omission from the final 28-man squad.¹⁰ Elvis Chipezeze is expected to start in goal behind a defensive line led by Teenage Hadebe.¹¹

• Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Chipezeze; Divine Lunga, Hadebe, Garananga, Murwira; Nakamba; Lameck Banda, Jonah Fabisch, Knowledge Musona, Tino Kadewere; Prince Dube.

Tactical Analysis: Midfield Control vs. The Low Block

Egypt’s Direct Possession

Hossam Hassan has moved away from the overly cautious style of previous managers. Egypt now looks to win the ball high up the pitch and utilize the "half-spaces" where Salah and Marmoush thrive.¹² With Emam Ashour providing late runs into the box from midfield, Egypt often creates numerical overloads that are difficult for smaller nations to track for 90 minutes.

Zimbabwe’s Defensive Resilience

Mario Marinica is expected to deploy a very narrow 4-1-4-1 system. By keeping the distances between the defensive and midfield lines minimal, Zimbabwe hopes to deny Salah the space to cut inside. Their success depends on Marvelous Nakamba’s ability to disrupt Egypt’s rhythm and the defense's discipline in defending cross-field diagonal balls, which are a hallmark of the Pharaohs' play.

Head-to-Head: Historical Dominance

History is heavily skewed in favor of the North African giants. Egypt has won the last six meetings between these two nations and remains unbeaten against Zimbabwe in their last ten encounters.¹³

Stat Highlight: Egypt has never failed to score in an AFCON match against Zimbabwe.

Final Match Prediction

While Zimbabwe’s grit and managerial "new bounce" might keep them in the game for the first hour, Egypt’s superior individual quality and tactical maturity should eventually prevail. The combination of Salah’s desire for a legacy-defining trophy and Marmoush’s elite form makes the Pharaohs too strong to contain.

Final Score Prediction: Egypt 2-0 Zimbabwe