Kick-off: December 22, 2025, at 22:00.

In the opening round of the Africa Cup of Nations, the match Egypt — Zimbabwe will take place at Stade Adrar in Agadir. The teams last met at the continental championship in 2019, when Egypt secured a narrow victory. The historical advantage is entirely on the side of the Pharaohs. In twelve head-to-head meetings, Zimbabwe has celebrated success only once, back in 1992, while Egypt has recorded seven wins along with four draws. Given the gap in quality, a victory in the opening match should be a planned step toward the knockout stage for the favorite.

Egypt will look to end a prolonged title drought that has lasted since 2010. Despite being the most decorated national team on the continent, in recent years the Pharaohs have twice fallen just short of triumph, losing the finals in 2017 and 2021. The team is now led by legendary Hossam Hassan, who won the Africa Cup of Nations three times as a player and is now eager to repeat that achievement as a head coach. The main hope of the fans remains captain Mohamed Salah — the star forward has arrived at the tournament highly motivated to prove his worth at the international level.

Watch the Egypt — Zimbabwe match online on MEGOGO on 22.12.2025. Zimbabwe comes into the tournament amid a major rebuilding phase following a recent change of head coach: Romanian Mario Marinică replaced Michael Nees shortly before the start of the championship. Such personnel decisions are often unpredictable. The national team can either surprise with disciplined play or face problems due to a lack of cohesion. The team’s statistics over the last ten matches do not inspire optimism, with only two victories — against Mozambique and Qatar. This will be Zimbabwe’s sixth appearance in the tournament’s history, and the main objective will be to try to challenge the giant, hoping to capitalize on possible underestimation from Egypt. Watch the live broadcast of the Egypt — Zimbabwe match online on MEGOGO on 22.12.2025.