Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush is set to represent Egypt at this month's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). In an interview with Camel Live, he shared his aspirations for the tournament and more.
On AFCON Goals
"Of course we will win the AFCON, then go on to lift the World Cup! We are eager to showcase ourselves with excellent performances and dream of winning the title or at least reaching a certain stage. We are not here just to say 'we participated in the World Cup'. With our current players, the strength of the entire team, as the Egyptian national team, we are Africa's strongest side. Next summer at the World Cup, we want to get through the group stage and show the world who we really are, not just make up the numbers."
On His Decision to Join Man City
"I have always dreamed of playing for a top club in the world, so I wasn't surprised when the opportunity to join Man City came. As a kid, I constantly imagined achieving this goal and working with the best coaches in the world. You always picture such scenarios, but when it actually happens, it feels completely different. It might take you 16, 17, even 20 years—like me, 26 years—15 years playing as a youngster and 10 years in my professional career to reach this level. It's like a reward for all my hard work."
On His Football Journey
"At first, you're not used to living abroad and adapting to football at the same time. So you have to deal with both issues simultaneously. There's also the language barrier... Of course, one of the hardest things is leaving your home, friends and family—nothing compares to that. But once you get through that period of being away from home with a goal in mind, you gradually get used to it. Because I loved football, I often skipped classes or missed out on outings with friends, but you always adapt. However, being away from friends and family, especially at such a young age, was really, really tough. The second biggest challenge was adapting to the rhythm of football."
"The pace of the game, training intensity, people's professionalism, tactical arrangements—everything related to football is extremely difficult to adapt to. So these two factors intertwine. You're not used to living abroad, and at the same time, you can't adapt to a different style of football without hard work. There's also the language barrier. If you're in a country where you don't speak the language, or where English isn't spoken at all, it's obviously even harder."
On His Early Career
"I spent a season at Wolfsburg but only played three games. I trained with the U23 team, but I always worked hard with great passion to achieve my goals. My parents worked in Canada for six years and got Canadian citizenship. I've been to Ottawa several times, but I've always lived in Egypt. I'm 100% Egyptian!"
"I only visited Canada occasionally, and even though I had the chance, I was determined to play for Egypt. I have a strong sense of belonging to my roots and a desire to represent Egypt. At Wolfsburg, I went through a period where I felt I had hit rock bottom—I barely played any games that year, only three or four. After that year, I either had to keep working hard to improve or go back home and let my dream end. That moment of reflection was one of the most important in my career."
"The second important period was when I moved to Eintracht Frankfurt. I worked hard to improve myself in every aspect—physically, mentally, and on the pitch. I was 25 years old and felt it was a make-or-break moment. But for me, those one or two years would determine whether I could continue to climb to the top or stay at my current level. So these two periods had a profound impact on my career."
On His Transformation at Frankfurt and Man City's Call
"That year was very good and positive. But in fact, when I first joined the team, we weren't in the best form overall, but we finished the season strongly. That was a good sign and helped me a lot. As soon as I arrived, changes started to happen—we gradually came together as a team and our results improved."
"For me, joining the Premier League in the winter transfer window without a pre-season to adapt and coming directly to such a big club wasn't easy. Facing all the pressure, putting in performances like scoring a hat-trick against Newcastle is obviously remarkable. I hope I can achieve even better results in the next few years."
Is Moving from Germany to England Easier Than from Egypt to Germany?
"Well, if I look back now, you could say the experience in Germany prepared me for England. Of course, Germany also has one of the best leagues in the world, but the Premier League is in a league of its own. Even in the Bundesliga, it took me three and a half to four years to reach my current level. It took me several years to get to a point where I could play for the first team, be a regular starter and perform as I expected."
"As I said, before reaching that level, I played for four clubs. So you go through phases that might be more like second-tier level, but those periods are what prepare you for where you are now."
"Last year we had a lot of injuries, so our results weren't ideal, especially considering we're Man City—a club that always competes for every trophy—Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup—we always fight for everything. So it was one of the few years where things didn't go as we wanted. But I don't think any club in history can win all competitions every year. There's always a time when you need to readjust, change some habits, to rebuild from scratch. This year we've started very, very well, and so far we've even shown a specific style of play, the kind of Man City style everyone knows. We win with confidence and convincingly. So I feel the team has made huge progress this year."
On His Goals for AFCON (Again)
"Whether playing for Man City or the national team, I'm eager to win games and perform at my best. As a footballer, wherever you go, you want to show the best version of yourself. After all, playing for Egypt, I'm representing my country. So basically, your mindset is to approach every game—whether it's a cup match, league game, national team game, AFCON qualifier or World Cup—with the same attitude, giving it your all."
On Mohamed Salah
"When we're with the national team, we joke around with each other to liven up the team atmosphere. The atmosphere always revolves around football, after all, your life is centered around it. So when you come to the national team, you obviously still talk about football, but we try to diverge from the topic and make other jokes."
"I feel the Egyptian people are proud of us because there are two Egyptian players in the Premier League, playing for two of the best clubs in the world. Of course, Salah, with all his achievements and the history he's made, is still performing at a high level today. I feel the Egyptian people are proud of both of us."
