Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rewarded the entire national football team, after they reached the qualifying round for World Cup 2018 in Russia.
Sisi received the players and the coaching team this morning in the Ittihadeya Presidential Palace and congratulated them for reaching the finals. Sisi extended his congratulations to the people of Egypt on this accomplishment.
The Egyptian football team qualified on Sunday for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia after a 28-year absence.
The team (nicknamed Pharaohs) beat the Congolese team 2-1 in the fifth round for Group E of the African qualifiers, at the Borg al-Arab Stadium in Alexandria
The Pharaohs currently top Group E with 12 points, four ahead of second-placed Uganda. Ghana sits at third place with six points, while Congo is at the bottom of the group with one point.
Egypt has now booked its place in the finals, however there is still one last round to be played in the qualifiers.
The seven-time continental champions and 2016 CAF Africa Cup of Nations runner-ups have only made it to the World Cup finals twice, both games hosted by Italy, the first time being in 1934 and the second in 1990.
Edited Translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
