Egypt’s ‘Zico’ grabs World Cup chance after last-minute call-up

Vancouver: Mostafa “Zico” Mohamed put a planned summer holiday on hold and seized his unexpected World Cup opportunity, delivering a standout performance in Egypt’s 3-1 win over New Zealand. The Pyramids FC forward revealed he had not anticipated a recall to the national team before being called up by coach Hossam Hassan. “I was far away from the national team and honestly wasn’t expecting it,” Zico said. “I was about to go on vacation and suddenly I found myself at the World Cup.” Zico marked the occasion by scoring one goal and providing an assist, emerging as one of Egypt’s key performers in the tournament. Named after the Brazilian great, he follows a long-standing tradition in Egyptian football of players adopting the names of international stars. A versatile attacker capable of playing on either wing or as a centre-forward, Zico has rewarded the coach’s faith with consistent displays. He had already impressed in pre-World Cup friendlies against Russia and Brazil before opening his tournament account in Vancouver. His clever back-heel assist set up Mohamed Salah’s goal in the victory. The win over New Zealand marked Egypt’s first-ever World Cup victory and placed them in a strong position in Group G ahead of their final match against Iran, as they aim to reach the knockout stage for the first time. Zico praised the confidence instilled by coach Hossam Hassan. “From the first minute until now, he has given us confidence. Thank God I haven’t let him down for a single second,” he said. Despite the strong start, Zico stressed that the team remains focused. “We still haven’t achieved anything yet. Hopefully we can go even further,” he said. “We are the strongest team in Africa. Why shouldn’t we go as far as possible in this tournament?”