Celebrated Egyptian screenwriter Abdel Rahim Kamal joined millions in celebrating the national football team’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over Australia on Friday. The historic win in the Round of 32 propelled the Pharaohs to the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in history.
Sharing a photo of the national team on his official Instagram page, Kamal captioned the post: “The greatest squad in the history of Egyptian football.”
Diplomatic congratulations quickly followed from across the region.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, extended his warmest wishes to the Egyptian team via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday.
“Heartiest congratulations to the Egyptian people and their leadership on the national team’s qualification for the World Cup Round of 16,” the Ruler of Dubai wrote. “Today, Arab joy is distinctly Egyptian. A heroic performance, a fighting spirit, and an entertaining match by the Pharaohs. We wish the best of luck to all Arab nations, and continuous joy to our Arab peoples.”
Additionally, Advisor Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, celebrated the Pharaohs’ thrilling spot-kick victory. Congratulating the Egyptian players on their monumental achievement, Alalshikh simply wrote on his official X account: “Congratulations, Egypt.”
