Egypt Between Legend and Challenge: The New Order of African Football in AFCON

With seven crowns in its cabinet but a drought stretching back to 2010, the Egyptian national team navigates between historical dominance and recent frustration. We analyze whether the CAF giant has lost its crown or is simply waiting for the right moment to reclaim it.

The question of whether Egypt has stopped being the giant of CAF is a complex one. Looking at their record, the answer is a resounding “no”: their seven Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles remain the all-time record. However, examining the current competitiveness, the picture shows a colossus walking on fragile feet.

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A dominance that moved to the clubs

Paradoxically, Egyptian football dominates Africa today more than ever—but at the club level. Al Ahly just claimed its twelfth CAF Champions League title (2024), and teams like Pyramids FC have emerged as new continental powers. Cairo remains the capital of African football, but that supremacy hasn’t translated into trophies for the national team.

The “curse” of the eighth star

Since their historic three-peat (2006, 2008, 2010), the “Pharaohs” have experienced a rollercoaster of disappointments:

Lost finals: They fell in the finals of 2017 and 2021, showing they remain among the elite, but lacking the killer instinct of old.
Dependence on Salah: Although Mohamed Salah is a global icon, the national team has struggled to find a Plan B when their star is tightly marked or injured.
The blows of 2024 and 2026: After a disappointing Round of 16 exit on penalties against DR Congo in the 2023 edition (played in 2024), Egypt showed signs of life in the AFCON 2025 in Morocco, eliminating defending champions Ivory Coast, though they recently fell in the semifinals against their “bogey team,” Senegal.

Verdict: Egypt has not ceased to be a powerhouse, but it is no longer the sole giant. The rise of nations like Senegal and Morocco has ended the era of Pharaohic intimidation. Today, Egypt is an elite competitor that relies on the memory of its past glory, hoping that its domestic league—the strongest on the continent—can once again produce a national team capable of crafting the eighth star.