Misr El-Maqasa coach: We hope the Al Masry match will be our way back into the spotlight

Misr El-Maqasa coach Omar Abdel Moneim said his team had prepared to face Al Masry of Port Said in the Round of 32 of the Egypt Cup, expressing hope that the match would be the team’s route to the Round of 16 and bring it closer to a return to the Professional League and then the Egyptian League. He said the task would be difficult because of the gap in experience between the two teams.

Abdel Moneim explained that Misr El-Maqasa was struggling with a registration ban and a lack of new signings, which had forced him to rely on young players and an ageing core. He said the team was relegated to the Second Division in 2021, then gained promotion to the Professional League for one season before being relegated again, after the parent Misr El-Maqasa Company stopped providing support. He added that an investor from Fayoum, together with Chinese companies, helped pay off debts and lift the registration ban for two seasons, but a new case involving player Bekele led to the ban being imposed again.

The Misr El-Maqasa coach praised head coach Tarek Haggag and the technical staff, saying they were working to restore the team. He also recalled his time as a player and top scorer for Misr El-Maqasa, noting that he was part of the generation that took the club up to the Premier League in 2009 and played for it for five seasons between 2005 and 2010, before being left out by a decision of the coach who took charge of the team later.