The Jordanian goalkeeper, Noor Bani Atiyeh, stole the spotlight, with reports describing him as "the white wall" and the man of the match

Egypt's defeat to Jordan, 3-0, in the final match of the first round of the 2025 Arab Cup on December 9, was not just a minor setback. It triggered a massive wave of anger and harsh criticism across Egyptian press and media outlets, which labeled the Pharaohs' early exit after two draws and a humiliating loss as a "scandal" and a "disaster," highlighting the team’s lackluster performance and absence of fighting spirit.

Egyptian newspapers and news sites launched a fierce attack on the country’s football system. Maspero’s website described the defeat as "heavy and bitter," calling the match "shapeless and tasteless," and urged a full review of the national teams’ projects.

In a harsh technical analysis on the Sada El Balad platform, Egyptian sports expert Hassan El Mestekawi stated that Egypt "does not play football worthy of the international level," attributing this to the "artistic and administrative chaos" that turned the game into money-making rather than genuine training, criticizing the players’ lack of fitness and defensive organization.

Behind the scenes, Egypt’s head coach, Helmy Toulan, held a press conference taking responsibility himself while also blaming the clubs’ association. He said passionately: "This national team was born an orphan," accusing association president Ahmed Diab of directly causing "the humiliation of Egypt’s team" by refusing to pause the league, which deprived the squad of seven key Pyramids Club players, unlike other participating teams.

The outrage spread to TV screens, with Egyptian media personality Ahmed Moussa stating that the country’s reputation had been "tarnished" by a team he called "disorganized," while analyst Samir Osman questioned the claim of having "the strongest league in the region" in light of a triple-goal defeat.

On the bright side, Egyptian media did not overlook praising the Jordanian national team, the Nashama, for their "historic" performance, achieving full points in their group.

Yallakora and Youm7 described Jordan’s performance as "a high-level football lesson," praising coach Jamal Salami’s ability to assert his football philosophy and win 3-0 despite fielding a full backup lineup to rest the stars.

Jordanian goalkeeper Noor Bani Atiyeh captured attention as reports called him "the white wall" and the match hero, thanks to his decisive saves that kept a clean sheet throughout the first round.

Social media buzzed with Egyptian and Arab comments admiring "Jordan’s respect for football," with an Egyptian fan seeing the defeat as a sign of mismanaged "priorities" and a decline in Egypt’s "soft power," while others noted that the Nashama, even with their second-string squad, delivered a lesson in courage and tactical discipline.