By the time Egypt steps on the field for the 2018 World Cup of soccer, it will mark 18 long years since the African country has competed in the tournament. Only two times in the country’s history has Egypt played in the World Cup — the first time in 1934 and the second in 1990. Fast-forward to 2018 and Egypt will once again get the chance to compete against the world’s best football teams.

Egypt World Cup Next Game

Don’t miss a minute of the action when Egypt takes the field for the 2018 World Cup. Use our next game widget — a helpful tool to track Egypt’s progress during the tournament. The widget gives bettors an in-depth look at Egypt’s upcoming opponents and features betting odds for each match. Be sure to do the required research before putting your money down on Egypt. It could pay off in the end.

Egypt World Cup Schedule

Plan ahead when placing bets on Egypt during the 2018. Having a game plan even before the opening kick-off can help bettors make better decisions when putting their money down on Egypt. The calendar widget breaks down the team’s schedule and offers current betting lines prior to each match and right to kickoff. Egypt will definitely be in tough, competing in its first World Cup since 1990. Any advantage will benefit bettors during the tournament.

Egypt World Cup Standings

Regardless of which group Egypt is placed in, it is sure to be a challenge for the African soccer nation. It is important to stay informed throughout the tournament and there’s no better way than by using our standings widget. The helpful tool allows bettors to keep track of key statistical categories, such as wins, points as well as goals for and against. The standings also offer betting information to keep gamblers in the loop right from the opening kick-off.

Egypt Enters 2018 World Cup as Huge Underdogs

It was a long time coming, but Egypt finally snapped a long-standing World Cup drought by qualifying for the 2018 edition in Russia. It marks only the third time in the country’s history that Egypt reached the World Cup stage, with the last time coming during the 1990 tournament in Italy. What can we expect from Egypt that the 2018 World Cup? After qualifying for the tournament, bookmakers pegged Egypt as heavy underdogs entering the World Cup at +25000. In the two other times Egypt has played in the World Cup, the country failed to make it out of the Group Stage — with the closest in 1934 when the team finished 13th overall. In 1990, Egypt placed 20th overall.

In their two World Cup appearances, Egypt were ousted by Hungary in 1934 and in 1990, the club finished at the bottom of their group, which also consisted of England, the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland.

During the qualifying stage for the 2018 World Cup, Egypt turned many heads by finishing with a record of 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat, placing first in Group E, which also consisted of Uganda, Ghana and Congo.

The Egyptians really set the tone during qualifying when the club handed Ghana a 2-0 defeat. Mohamed Salah scored on a penalty kick in the 42nd minute and Abdallas Said sealed the victory in the 85th. It was smooth sailing from there, but Egypt can expect a much tougher challenge when the World Cup begins in the summer.?
Egypt scored eight goals during qualifying while only surrendering four against. The moment of glory came on Oct. 8, 2017 when Salah scored in the 94th minute in a 2-1 victory over Chad to secure Egypt’s place in the World Cup.

Salah is Egypt’s Best Chance of Making a Deep Run

Offensively, Salah — the speedy Liverpool star — will be the player to watch for Egypt when the tournament gets underway in Russia in the summer of 2018. Salah was an integral part of Egypt’s qualification for the World Cup and a big reason why the country overcame several obstacles to secure a spot for the first time in 20 years. How important was Salah to Egypt’s qualification success? The midfielder netted a goal in all of the team’s third-round victories.

The team is managed by Argentinian Hector Cuper, who previously coached Valencia and Inter Milan. Cuper, who took over as head coach of the Egyptian national side in 2015, has lifted the country to levels it had previously never seen before. However, it will be a challenge for the manager to make a deep run in Russia in 2018.

Egypt has never been known for being a high-scoring soccer team and it has shown at the World Cup level as the club has only netted a total of three goals in the tournament. Two of the tallies came off the foot of Abdulrahman Fawzi during the 1934 World Cup. The only other goal Egypt has recorded was in 1990 — scored by Magdi Abdelghani.

There has been some notable success at major tournaments for Eygpt, which lifted the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for a seventh time in 2010. The club missed out on qualifying for the World Cup in 2010 (South Africa) and again in 2014 (Brazil), but the club has made tremendous strides in the last few years, which helped them qualify in 2018.

As +25000 underdogs, bettors aren’t exactly lining up to put their money on Egypt. However, at the same time, don’t count out the underdogs from upsetting a team or two during the group stage. The club will try to advance to the knockout stage for the first time ever and judging by the club’s previous success, that doesn’t sound as far-fetched.