Egypt U20 made a strong start to the North Africa qualifiers for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Libya 2-0 at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia.

Egypt entered the game looking for their first three points of the tournament and quickly took control, creating several chances against Libya despite having to play most of the match with only 10 men.

Control Despite the Red Card

Egypt started on the front foot, with Eyad Medhat coming close to opening the scoring early after meeting a cross with a header that went just over the bar.

The match became more difficult for Egypt after around 15 minutes when Mohamed Raafat was sent off following a strong challenge, leaving the Young Pharaohs to continue with 10 players.

Despite being a man down, Egypt refused to sit back and quickly found the opening goal.

Mohamed Awad scored from a long-range free kick that caught the Libyan defense and goalkeeper by surprise and went directly into the net.

Egypt protected their lead until halftime, while Libya tried to respond but struggled to create clear chances against a well-organized Egyptian defense.

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The Young Pharaohs continued to play with confidence after the break and doubled their advantage in the 55th minute.

Omar El-Ezzab delivered an accurate cross into the area, and Mohamed Hamad met it with a powerful header. Libya goalkeeper Senad Suleiman got a hand to the ball but could not stop it from crossing the line.

Egypt remained organized after the second goal and limited Libya’s attacking attempts until the final whistle, securing an important victory in their opening match.

Early Lead

The win gave Egypt their first three points and moved them to the top of the standings, helped by the draw between Algeria and Tunisia in the same round, while Libya remained without a point.

The North Africa qualifiers include Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, with the top two teams earning places at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in Ghana in February 2027.

Egypt will continue their campaign against Tunisia on September 30, before facing Morocco on October 3 and finishing their matches against Algeria on October 6.

The victory over Libya gives the Young Pharaohs an important early boost, especially after they managed to score twice and keep a clean sheet despite playing with 10 men for most of the match.