Despite Parisian star Yahia Omar's excellent recent form, Egypt were tested by Iceland, who finished fourth in the last European Championship. At half-time, the match was already a tight affair (30': 14–14). The match began to take shape as the final minutes approached, with the reigning African champions looking to take a decisive lead to knock out their opponents (52': 30-27).
But they hadn’t reckoned with the Icelanders’ determination, as the Nordic side hit four unanswered goals to turn the tables late in the piece (60': 30-31). The Pharaohs will have the chance to make amends in a rematch against the Icelanders on 15 May, as they fine-tune their game just a few months ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Germany.