Egypt won the African Cup seven times in the past, but the country has not been able to make it to the World Cup games since 1990. Over the weekend, the Egyptian National Football Team played against Congo Brazzaville and secured their place in the 2018 World Cup with a 2-1 victory. The country has only been to the World Cup games twice, once in 1934 and again in 1990. Their victory over the weekend caused an uproar across the nation, which has not died down.
Securing a victory
Egypt's national football team holds seven African Cup of Nations titles, making them a prominent figure in African sports.
Despite their success, they have struggled in the past to make it to the World Cup games. Their victory over the weekend was due in part to their coach, Hector Cuper, and a certain beloved player, Mohamed Salah.
Hector Cuper, 61, is a former footballer from Argentina. He signed on as the new manager of Egypt's national football team in March 2015. Since then, he has led the team to several victories, including the most recent World Cup qualifying win over Congo Brazzaville. At the African Cup of Nations 2017, he led the team to the final match, but they lost to Cameroon 2-1.
Mohamed Salah, 25, currently plays for Liverpool and Egypt's national team. He was responsible for taking the winning penalty kick over the weekend against Conga Brazzaville.
He has been playing for Egypt since 2011 and was named the CAF Most Promising African Talent in 2012.
Salah is no stranger to the World Cup games. In 2011, Salah competed in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The following year, he participated in the Summer Olympics held in London. Now, he is a national hero as Egypt continues their celebrations after qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Big bonuses
Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has shown his appreciation for the team's victory by way of handsome reward bonuses. Every player on the team received $85,000, a hefty sum given the current state of Egypt's economy.
The country erupted over the weekend with celebrations. The people took to the streets with fireworks and cheers, which is quite a turnaround from recent years.
Egypt has not seen this much excitement in a long time. In 2011, the country hosted a massive revolution to overthrow former President Mubarak. Egypt's streets were even more crowded in 2013 during a protest to unseat former President Morsi.
Egyptians have taken to the streets again, but for an entirely different reason. By securing a place in the 2018 World Cup games, Egypt's national football team has revitalized communities. President Sisi quickly came up with millions of dollars to provide the players with their bonuses and further motivate them to do well in the upcoming games next year.
