A Guide to the Egypt Men’s Basketball Team

09 Aug 2023

Men's OQT Country Thumbnail_Egypt

The Egypt men’s basketball team, nicknamed The Pharaohs, became the first African side to compete in the Olympic Games back in 1936. Since then, they’ve become the continent’s most successful team, helped by the fact they competed in EuroBasket until 1953, winning a gold medal in 1949, to go along with five AfroBasket titles and a fifth-place finish at the FIBA Basketball World Cup

Discover more about the Egyptian men’s basketball team with this guide from the experts at Courtside 1891. Read on to discover more about the side’s storied history, former legends and current squad makeup. 


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2024 Olympics - Men's Basketball

The Egypt men's basketball team are confirmed as one of the 24 nations that will compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024, which you can stream live with Courtside 1891. The tournaments are scheduled for July 2-7 2024. 

Egypt haven't been handed an easy draw, as they're bound to travel to the Piraeus, where they'll lock horns with hosts Greece and Dominican Republic before potentially competing against one of Slovenia, New Zealand and Croatia.

For The Pharaos, it seems like an unsurmountable obstacle, but Egypt and new coach Henrik Rodl aren't strangers to being surprise underdogs.

How Did Egypt Do At The FIBA World Cup 2023? 

​​Here are the key stats from Japan's FIBA Basketball World Cup campaign: 

  • Final Standing: 20th
  • Results: Played 5 Won 2 Lost 3
  • Top Points Scorer: Ehab Amin 97 PTS (19.4 PPG)
  • Top Assist Provider: Ehab Amin 28 AST (5.6 APG)
  • Most Efficient Player: Ehab Amin 18.6 EPG

Egypt secured a top 20 finish thanks to a resounding 100-72 group win over Mexico and blowing past Jordan in the 32-17 classification round. While their up-and-down tournament ended with a frustrating 88-86 loss to New Zealand, Egypt enjoyed some good moments, led by Ehab Amin, who played 35 minutes a game to lead this squad in scoring and assists. 

Check out free highlights from their best win against Mexico, below. 

Egypt v Mexico - 5-min Game

Team Presentation Video

Keen to learn more about The Pharaohs?  This handy Team Discovery Video was produced prior to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024, detailing the team’s greatest achievements and latest prospects in a bite-size guide. 

Team Presentation - Egypt - FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024

Current Star Players 

An extended Egypt squad for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments has been announced. Coach Rodl was able to call on a number of key players, including FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 standout Ehab Amin, who provided 19.4 points and 5.6 assists per game at the World Cup.

Assem Marei, Egypt's go-to big man, is a notable absence from the roster, and he misses out due to an injury.

Talented youngster, Karim Hatem Elgizawy, earned experience off the bench after a good showing in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 in Hungary. However, there is no place for 21-year-old Mohab Yasser, who made an appearance in coach Rana’s final qualifying squad. Naturalized NBA Summer League player, Patrick Gardner played an average of 22 minutes across the tournament before earning a training camp invite from the Brooklyn Nets. 

Legends of the Team 

A number of great basketball players have represented Egypt, including both Abdel Nader and Alaa Abdelnaby, who are the only two Egyptian players to ever feature in the NBA. 

However, the recognized star of Egyptian basketball is Samir Gouda. At the 1994 edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, this talented center notched three double-doubles and tied the tournament record for the highest number of rebounds grabbed in a single game with 16. In his career, he also helped Egypt win two bronze medals at FIBA AfroBasket (2001 and 2003). 

Previous Successes and Tournament Wins

Basketball Egypt has made seven appearances at the Olympic Games. But, the team has never managed to get near the podium. In fact, they’ve never reached the quarter-finals. 

But, Egypt has been more successful at the continental level. Between 1937 and 1953, Egypt competed in European competitions. During this time, they claimed two medals at the FIBA EuroBasket, including one bronze and a gold. 

Since 1962, the side have competed at FIBA AfroBasket. Here, they’ve claimed a joint-record 17 medals, including five golds. Egypt have hosted the tournament on six occasions and The Pharaohs have won a medal on the last four occasions as the host nation.

How to Watch Egypt Men's Basketball 

With Courtside 1891, worldwide fans can watch Egypt compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (FOQTs) 2024. We stream every game of FIBA international tournaments as well as other competitions from around the world. 

As FIBA’s premium streaming partner for the World Cup, Courtside 1891 provided access to every 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup game! Watch the competition's biggest games and best moments on-demand on our FIBA Basketball World Cup page. 

The best way to make sure that you never miss a single second of the upcoming action is to download our app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, or sign up to our website platform. Please be aware that, due to broadcasting rights and restrictions, access to some games might be restricted depending on your location. See our where-to-watch page for full details of upcoming competitions.

Looking for the latest results from the world of basketball? Head over to the Courtside 1891 Game Center. Here you’ll also find matchup times in your country as well as easy-to-access game highlights you can watch when you register with Courtside 1891.