Egyptian football is a legacy that is passed from one generation to the next, bound up in the dreams of millions. In the Pharaohs’ World Cup history, Ahmed Shobeir stands out as an iconic figure in goal, having caught the eye at the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ with outstanding displays against some of the world’s finest teams.
Thirty-six years on, the Shobeir name has returned to the World Cup in North America, where Ahmed’s son Mostafa has taken up the gloves and made his own contribution to a golden generation in a new epic that has seen Egypt reach the knockout stage for the first time in history.
At the , Mostafa Shobeir has been much more than an extension of his father’s legacy. He announced himself immediately, impressing in the Pharaohs’ opener against Belgium, then continued to shine against New Zealand and IR Iran. Shobeir played a pivotal role in Egypt’s advancement with a string of decisive saves, most notably a penalty stop against Iran.
Egypt, under manager Hossam Hassan, now face a fresh challenge in theirat Dallas Stadium on Friday. As 26-year-old Mostafa prepares for one of the biggest matches of his career, his father tells FIFA that he is experiencing this moment from a very different perspective, as a proud yet anxious father – and a former goalkeeper deeply familiar with the immense pressures that accompany football’s greatest tournament.
Ahmed Shobeir: Without question, 1990 remains one of the greatest chapters of my career and the memories are wonderful. But the hardest part for me was not the tournament itself, but getting there. We faced Algeria, who were an extremely strong side, and managed to score a difficult goal just four minutes into the match at Cairo Stadium. Then we endured long, agonising spells until the referee blew the final whistle.
At the World Cup itself, I believe we came close to reaching the second round at least, but a lack of experience ultimately prevented us from doing so.
The England match is the one that has stayed with me more than any other because it was one of the finest matches of my career. Unfortunately, though, I can never forget the mistake I made dealing with a cross, before England defender Mark Wright headed it and it deflected off our defender Hesham Yakan and into the net. I still feel sad every time I think back to that moment.
On the other hand, it was deeply gratifying to be recognised for my performance in the tournament. Polls in a number of newspapers placed me among the best goalkeepers across all the group-stage matches. Beautiful memories – I could never forget them.
Honestly, it never crossed my mind. Yes, I knew that Mostafa, or “Oufa”, was a very good goalkeeper with tremendous potential, but I never expected to hear my name mentioned at the World Cup again after all these years, and at the same position.
In truth, it’s not in my nature to show my emotions. I keep them to myself. But in that moment, so many emotions came together within me: pride, joy, happiness, love, tears and anxiety. I have to admit that the anxiety and nerves outweighed my fear for him, because I know how much responsibility and pressure comes with being Egypt’s goalkeeper. But Mostafa is made of stern stuff, and he can handle responsibility.
Mostafa’s performance against Belgium was no surprise to me. After he’d done so well in the friendlies against Spain and Brazil, I felt he was going to have a good tournament.
As for the comparisons between us, I don’t particularly care for them, either as a father or as a former goalkeeper. Football has changed enormously between 1990 and 2026. Science and technology have entered the game, and the demands on a goalkeeper are completely different now. So I believe Mostafa is unquestionably far better than I was. He’s a top-class goalkeeper with outstanding vision, a better player with the ball at his feet, and tremendously confident.
I don’t say much, really. I keep it to one word: “Enjoy.” I repeat it constantly, whether before league matches or at the World Cup. I always pray for him and tell him to find enjoyment in football, because I believe that when a player enjoys what he’s doing on the pitch, he produces his very best.
Of course I hope he’ll keep a clean sheet, especially in the upcoming match against Australia. I also hope the match doesn’t go to penalties because they’re exhausting and difficult for all of us. And of course, I hope he achieves more than I managed to do. If he plays against Australia, he’ll become Egypt’s most-capped goalkeeper in World Cup history, with four appearances. I wish him every success, along with any other goalkeeper who represents the team.
Yes, I did expect that, because Egypt have high-calibre players with tremendous ability. So I was confident in their ability to advance, and I hope they continue their journey and achieve even more.
I expect it to be a difficult match – not so much technically, but it’ll be strenuous given Australia’s physical strength. Even so, I have total confidence in our players and their ability to produce a good performance and move on, and I wish them the best of luck.
Sources: FIFA Official
