Egypt national team player Imam Ashour said the players gave everything they had in the match against Argentina, stressing that the Egyptian team came close to achieving a historic feat before the world champions turned the result around in the final minutes.
Egypt exited the 2026 World Cup after a bitter 3-2 defeat to Argentina in an epic match played by the Pharaohs against the title holders, decided only in stoppage time, after Argentina overturned a two-goal deficit to win in the dying seconds.
Ashour told beIN Sports after the final whistle: "The players did not spare a drop of sweat," noting that the team entered the match with full concentration and succeeded in going 2-0 up, before the course of the game changed following a series of events, most notably the penalty kick that paved the way for Argentina's comeback.
He continued: "We wanted to bring joy to Egyptian and Arab fans, and we apologise to them — our dream was bigger than this, but praise be to God for everything." The Egypt star extended his thanks to his teammates, the coaching staff and the fans, stressing that the team delivered a match that will live long in the memory, particularly as it came against the reigning World Cup champions. He concluded: "We were very close to achieving a historic result, and we hope to make it up to the great Egyptian fans in what is to come."