Egypt’s U-20 national team, specifically the 2007 birth-year squad, defeated Jordan 3-0 in a friendly match on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the National Teams Center in 6 October City. The victory, led by coach Wael Riad, serves as a final preparation step before the North Africa qualifiers for the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Ghana next year. This match was the second friendly between the two teams, following a first meeting on Tuesday where Egypt won 2-0.
The match was a display of aerial dominance for the Egyptians, who secured all three goals via headers in the first half. The result marks a successful conclusion to a series of friendly trials designed to test tactical responses and physical readiness before the official competition begins in September. Wael Riad emphasized to his players the importance of the current stage and the necessity of maintaining focus to reach full readiness before official competitions.
First-Half Surge and Aerial Dominance
Egypt established control early, breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute. Center-back Iyad Medhat opened the scoring by converting a cross from Mohamed Farag. The goal came against Jordan’s substitute goalkeeper, Mohamed Al-Shuloul, who had entered the game in the 9th minute to replace the injured Hamad Al-Lataife.
The momentum shifted further in favor of the hosts just before the interval. Mahmoud Hamad scored twice in quick succession—first in the 45th minute and again in the 5th minute of first-half stoppage time. Both goals were headers created by deliveries from Mohannad El Shamy.
Wael Riad's Tactical Rotations
The technical staff began the match with a starting lineup consisting of Omar Abdel Aziz in goal; Nour Ashraf, Iyad Medhat, Mohamed Farag, and Mohannad El Shamy in defense; Mohamed Conta, Abdel Rahman Abdel Fattah, Mohamed Hamad, Yassin Atef, and Mohamed Hosni in midfield; while Mohamed Abdel Fattah “Taha” led the attack.
With a comfortable lead heading into the second half, manager Wael Riad utilized the period to evaluate the depth of his squad. He implemented numerous substitutions to ensure all players could demonstrate their capabilities and readiness.
- Adham Ahmed
- Omar Al-Azab
- Mahmoud Hassan Gomaa
- Goalkeeper Mostafa Sami
- Abdullah Bedir
- Mohamed Yasser
Earlier in the match, Anas Rushdi had replaced Yassin Atef in the 19th minute. During the second half, Omar Al-Azab nearly scored a fourth goal for Egypt in the 51st minute, but his shot hit the crossbar. Jordan’s captain, Mohamed Al-Bitar, also attempted a powerful shot during the match.
This strategy of wide rotation is part of a broader preparation plan. Wael Riad relies on a strategy of playing strong friendly matches with diverse technical schools to raise the physical and tactical efficiency of the players. This preparation included several international friendlies and experimental matches against local clubs to evaluate different groups and reach the basic structure of the formation.
Official Support and League Context
Following the 3-0 victory, Shawky Gharib, the technical director of the Football Association, held a meeting with the 2007-born players. During his address, Gharib confirmed that the Football Association will spare no effort in providing full support to the youth national team, in order to appear in an honorable image that befits Egyptian football in international forums and to continue the good image of it, which began with the first national team in the America World Cup.
The victory over Jordan serves as preparation for the qualifiers for both the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and the Asia U-20 Cup. Specifically, the team is preparing for the North Africa qualifiers, which Egypt will host during September.
Worth a look
