Egypt vs New Zealand Prediction: Salah expected to lead this Egyptian side to victory

Egypt will host New Zealand in a FIFA Series match at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday, aiming to begin positively under the leadership of Hossam Hassan. The Pharaohs appointed the Egyptian football legend as the successor to Rui Vitoria following a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign. Meanwhile, the All Whites are eager to spoil the new manager's debut.

Egypt recognized the need for change following their unexpected elimination in the AFCON 2023 round of 16, disappointing fans eager for an eighth continental crown. This led to the dismissal of the former Benfica manager and the appointment of national team icon Hassan, the Pharaohs' leading goal scorer and a three-time Cup of Nations winner. Despite being runners-up in AFCON 2017 and 2021, Hassan aims to start his tenure positively, targeting success in the 2025 continental tournament and World Cup qualification. With a strong friendly record, including six wins in their last eight games and just two losses in 14 matches (with 11 victories), Egyptian supporters are confident in their team's motivation for upcoming matches.

New Zealand's recent performance across all competitions does not augur well for their upcoming prospects, highlighted by a single victory in their last 12 competitive and non-competitive matches. Seven of these encounters ended in defeat, suggesting a continuation of this trend for the All Whites. Their friendly match results have also been disappointing, with 11 out of the aforementioned 12 games being non-competitive. The match against Egypt on Friday represents New Zealand's final preparatory fixture before Darren Bazeley's squad embarks on their OFC Nations Cup campaign against New Caledonia in June. This match offers Bazeley one last opportunity to glean insights about his team before competitive action resumes in a few months. One notable area requiring improvement is their offensive efficiency, as the All Whites have managed to score more than one goal in only one of their last 12 matches.

Egypt has endured a four-game stretch without a win, following a period where they won four out of their five previous matches. Their recent victories on home turf, with a combined scoreline of 8-0 in their last two games, are likely to boost their confidence for the upcoming weekend. Conversely, New Zealand finds themselves in a five-game winless streak and have secured only one victory since June 2022. The evident gap in skill and overall quality between the two sides suggests that the home team is poised to emerge victorious in this encounter.