Egypt’s goalkeeping coach Saafan El-Saghir explains Mostafa Shobeir’s surprise appearance in World Cup qualifier

Egypt’s thrilling 3-0 win over Djibouti not only secured a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, but gave fans a surprise when young goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir replaced regular starter Mohamed El-Shenawy at halftime.

Goalkeeping coach Saafan El-Saghir explained the decision, saying, “El-Shenawy felt muscle pain at halftime, and we agreed he should come off if he felt anything more in the second half. The players’ health is always our top priority.”

Saafan emphasized that Egypt’s training staff, led by Hossam Hassan, keeps the national team door open to all goalkeepers based on merit and readiness. “There is no favoritism, every spot is earned through performance,” he said.

Following Mohamed El-Shenawy’s exit, Shobeir seized his opportunity, helping Egypt preserve their clean sheet through the final whistle. Meanwhile, striker Mostafa Mohamed and winger Ibrahim Adel celebrated the qualification milestone as both spoke of the team’s dream to leave a mark at the World Cup.