Mustapha Hadji told Kooora that he ranks Egypt fifth among Africa's strongest national teams at present. Egypt sit third in Africa in FIFA's latest ranking and 25th in the world.
Hadji's top five
Hadji said, in his interview with Kooora, "Morocco in first place, then Senegal, Mali, DR Congo and Egypt in that order."
Why Hadji ranks Egypt fifth
Asked why he placed Egypt fifth, the former Morocco star replied, "The average age of Egypt's players now ranges between 30 and 33 years, so it is difficult to rank them any higher."
Drawing a comparison with Germany, Hadji added, "We always say that Egypt is 'the Germany of Africa', because of the tactical discipline and physical strength that Egyptian players possess, but the advancing age at the present time is what led me to this ranking."
His view of Egyptian football
He explained, "Egypt were the best in Africa for many years, and the Egyptian league is the strongest on the African continent, producing the best local players."
Egypt's recent tournament results
Hadji also stressed that Egypt "were subjected to clear injustice against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, and deserved to go far in the tournament."
Egypt reached the round of 16 of the last World Cup for the first time in their history. Egypt also reached the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.