El-Shenawy: "My Dream is to Win the World Cup, But First, We Must Advance from the Group Stage"
Mohamed El-Shenawy, goalkeeper for the Egyptian national team, hopes to win the World Cup with "The Pharaohs," emphasizing that competing for the title requires focusing on each match individually.
In an interview with FIFA's official website, El-Shenawy addressed Egypt's lack of a strong World Cup history, stating: "We lacked experience, as we hadn't qualified for the World Cup for 28 years. It was the first time the team competed at that level, so it was natural for us to lack experience at the time. However, we gained a lot of experience after the tournament, having played against major national teams."
He explained: "Today, the picture is clearer for us, and we can achieve something special in the upcoming World Cup. Of course, we must set a goal and ambition to reach the final stages of the tournament, and currently, it is essential for us to qualify for the knockout stage."
El-Shenawy continued: "Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet, and I have previously participated in the World Cup, and we can transfer our experiences to the rest of the players, helping them get accustomed to the tournament atmosphere. We are preparing to play in the World Cup against strong teams, which will be to our advantage, as we will start the tournament in the best possible readiness."
He added: "For me, I aspire to win the World Cup. It's certainly difficult, but my goal and ambition are to participate in the tournament and win it. However, first and foremost, at the national team level and for me personally, as this will be my second World Cup appearance, I fully understand the strength of the participating teams. We talk amongst ourselves and strive to advance past the first round step by step. So, if you ask me about my dream, I would say it's to win the World Cup."
Regarding the possibility of achieving an unprecedented feat in the World Cup, El-Shenawy affirmed: "The national team is currently focusing on playing friendly matches and preparing for the World Cup. We aspire to reach a stage where we achieve something new, something that has never been accomplished before. As I said, the first step is to advance past the first round, and then think about the next stage step by step. For us, that would be a very significant achievement, reaching an advanced position in the tournament."
