‘Masr-mania’ as Egyptians in Amman brace for African Cup final

AMMAN — As soon as Egypt’s matches during the African Cup of Nations are about to start, Zaki Sayed quickly heads to his friends’ house in Amman to watch the match, a ritual he has repeated over the last few weeks.

He said he has never missed a match of his national football team during this competition.

“Even if I saw my father at the traffic lights calling for me, but the game was about to start, I would never miss the match. This team is the thing I love most in the world,” he told The Jordan Times.

Egypt beat Burkina Faso on penalties on Wednesday and face Cameroon in the final on Sunday, hoping to win their fourth consecutive African cup.

“Masr-mania” is not restricted to Egypt, however. 

Cafes in Amman become crammed with Egyptians during their matches, all cheering and hoping that the new generation of Egyptian players will deliver the victory the whole country is longing for.

Sunday should be no different, with cafes in Amman anticipating full-houses, with Egyptians and Ammanis alike all hoping that an Arab team will win the competition.

Sayed, who works at a garage in west Amman, said the role of the national team was not simply to entertain, but that it also acts as a unifying factor for the Egyptian people.

“The enemy watches the match with the friend. There are no hard feelings and all the country stands with the team,” he added.

With huge numbers of Egyptians working in the Kingdom, the capital’s residents might notice that streets and businesses become a bit quieter when the Egyptian side plays. 

According to the 2015 population census, around 636,270 Egyptians live in Jordan.

A friend of Sayed’s, and a fellow Egyptian, Ismail, said every Egyptian leaves their work in Amman to watch the matches.

“Everyone goes out to celebrate the victory, not only in Egypt but also in Amman. Also, back home [in Egypt], you can sense the jubilation they feel, as they stay up until dawn celebrating the team’s victories,” he added.

Sami Saqqa, who works at a shop in west Amman, said that, although the team is missing many players due to injuries, the squad has managed to reach the final.

“It has helped people forget about the difficult conditions they face and brought joy to them,” he said with a smile.

His colleague, Islam Sayed Mohammad said the sports scene in Egypt was deeply affected by the revolution and the political turmoil that followed.

“The ‘glorious generation’ of the team retired, and it took the team a while to find a new generation, which is now getting used to the challenges ahead,” the 19-year-old added. 

“This victory will bring hope to sports professionals and clubs back home, and will further enhance  [Egyptian] sports and football, ”Mohammad predicted.