Nadine Ghazi Reflects on Egypt's Journey Back to WAFCON 10 years later

Ten years ago, Nadine Ghazi arrived at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as an excited 14-year-old. A decade later, she not only returns for the 2026 edition in Morocco as one of Egypt's senior players - but also the Egyptian Women's Premier League's 2025/26 Player of the Season and one of the country's biggest hopes as Egypt prepare for their first WAFCON appearance in a decade.

Having featured in both Egypt's 2016 and 2026 WAFCON squads, Ghazi has witnessed the national team's journey firsthand. Reflecting on the decade that shaped both her career and Egyptian women's football, she admits making her debut at just 14 years old was beyond anything she could have imagined.

"I was just so grateful to be there, learning from players with much more experience than me," Ghazi tells SceneSports. "Looking back now, I realise how much that experience shaped me, not just as a footballer, but as a person."

Over the past decade, that perspective has only deepened. Representing Egypt, she says, has become about far more than football.

"What stands out most to me throughout these 10 years is the resilience it took to get here, the highs, the lows, and everything I learned along the way."

That resilience was put to the test in 2021, when an ACL injury brought the best spell of her career to an abrupt halt.

"It was the biggest challenge of my career and the biggest turning point in my life,” she explains. “I was in the best form of my career, then everything stopped."

What followed was an even greater setback. After undergoing two surgeries, Ghazi discovered the initial procedure had not been carried out properly, leaving her with an impossible choice.

"The doctor told me I had two options; quit football or undergo a third surgery that would keep me out for at least another year. For me there was only one choice."

A third operation followed in 2023, along with another long spell of rehabilitation, emotional pain and battles with depression. Then came the breakthrough. "A year and a half after the surgery and all the heartache, Al Ahly came knocking, and it felt like things had finally fallen into place."

Her return coincided with a turning point for Egyptian women's football itself. As clubs like Al Ahly and Zamalek entered the women's game, Ghazi believes the entire landscape began to change.

"The entrance of clubs like Al Ahly and Zamalek into women's football changed everything. It brought more attention, more professionalism and helped people start taking the women's game seriously.

"Women's football in Egypt has changed tremendously. Players' voices are heard more, there's greater understanding within the team, and everyone is working towards the same objective. That unity makes all the difference."

The shift, she believes, extends beyond the pitch.

"Society has also changed. Strong women are valued much more today, and girls playing football is becoming something people are proud of rather than surprised by."

For all she has experienced since, Ghazi's favourite football memory still takes her back to where it all began.

"My debut came against Libya in 2016. It was my mum's birthday, and I was so surprised to find myself in the starting XI,” she recalls. “To score on my debut, from an assist by none other than my childhood idol, Engy Attia, felt surreal. Sharing that moment with my whole family in the stands, it felt like the perfect birthday gift."

Ten years on, wearing the Egypt shirt still carries the same meaning. Looking ahead, Ghazi hopes the growth of the women's game is matched by greater investment.

"I want the industry to invest in us. Investment isn't only about money, it's about giving us the same opportunity to grow, develop and reach our potential."

As Ghazi prepares for her second Women's Africa Cup of Nations, her journey mirrors that of Egyptian women's football itself. Ten years after arriving at the tournament as a teenager thrilled to be missing school, she returns as one of the leaders of a national team writing a new chapter. For Ghazi, making it back was never the finish line - it was helping ensure the next generation doesn't have to wait another decade.