Excerpt: Mahmoud Abdel-Razek Shikabala expressed disappointment over Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Kuwait in the opening round of the Arab Cup 2025, highlighting missed chances and struggles in finishing attacks.

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Former Zamalek and Egyptian national team star Mahmoud Abdel-Razek Shikabala voiced his disappointment after Egypt drew 1-1 against Kuwait in the opening match of the Arab Cup 2025 held in Qatar.

Kuwait initially took the lead through Fahad Al-Hajri before Mohamed Magdy "Afsha" equalized with a penalty, resulting in both teams earning a single point to start their campaign.

Speaking on MBC Masr 2, Shikabala criticized the team’s performance, emphasizing that wasted opportunities were a key reason for the draw. He stated: "We missed an easy win… Mohamed Sherif has a clear issue in finishing attacks."

He also commented on the penalty situation, where a disagreement arose over who should take the shot: "I don’t like a player grabbing the ball to take a penalty and then another player takes it. Mohamed Elneny was supposed to take it, but Amr El-Sulaya took it instead. I expected Afsha to shoot to the center, which he did. We made the game harder for ourselves."

Shikabala praised goalkeeper Mohamed Bassam for saving a crucial chance in the final minutes, stressing that Egypt was close to losing: "Thank God for Bassam’s save… if that had gone in, the match would have ended badly for us."

Egypt now prepares to face the UAE in the second round, aiming for their first victory while correcting defensive and offensive mistakes, amid strong calls from fans to stabilize the team for the rest of the tournament.

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