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If you want to know how Egyptian-Australians are feeling ahead of Saturday’s Pharaohs v Socceroos showdown, watch Joseph Tawadros’s social media videos.

In one, the multi-instrumentalist plays his oud, a Middle Eastern stringed instrument, while wearing a fez with an Australian flag on it, complete with dangling corks.

He’s singing a mashup of Waltzing Matilda and the Egyptian folk song Teleat Ya Mahla Nourha. Despite coming from vastly different ends of the musical spectrum, the two melodies somehow align.

It reflects the conflicted emotions that many members of the 45,000 strong Egyptian-Australian diaspora are grappling with ahead of Saturday’s World Cup knockout game. They will be faced with a difficult burden.

And it’s not just waking up at 4am to watch the game. It’s deciding who to support. Tawadros is “split down the middle, 50-50”.

“If Australia advance, I’ll be happy. If Egypt advance, I’ll be happy,” he says. He hopes that if the Pharaohs are victorious, Australians jump on their bandwagon – and vice versa if the Socceroos win.

“It’s a win-win situation.”

Last Saturday, during Egypt’s 1-1 draw against Iran, the Alexander Mediterranean Restaurant in Gladesville on Sydney’s lower north shore was packed to the brim with Egyptian fans donned in the team’s colours. When Egypt scored, one woman started playing a drum. Children jumped up and down.

The restaurant’s co-owner Ayman Adly migrated to Australia eight years ago and says his “heart is with Egypt” but his “brain is with Australia”.

“It’s hard,” he says. “Because we are away from our home, sport gives us a way to be attached with our country, especially for second and third generation [Egyptians].

“Football in Egypt is regardless of the religion, and even social class. During the matches, the streets are very quiet. Egyptians forget their stress – they’re just supporting their team. We are, you can say, quite addicted to football.”

This is a huge moment for Egypt in what is only their fourth appearance in the finals. After taking part in the 1934 edition they didn’t qualify again until 1990, and then endured another barren spell before 2018.

This has already been their best ever performance in the tournament with their 3-1 victory over New Zealand in Vancouver breaking the curse of never having won a game and sending them into the knockout stage for the first time.

As a nation, football fandom is a culturally unifying force, spurred on by their star player Mohamed Salah, who is known colloquially as their “Egyptian King”.

In the 2018 presidential election, images of people crossing out the candidates names and writing Salah’s name went viral. He’s been described as not just a man but a symbol, akin to the pyramids.

Since Salah was signed to Liverpool in 2017, Egypt has become the second largest backer of the English Premier League, according to the league, with 85% of adults following the action.

Egypt’s consul general in Sydney, Reem Zahran, says football is “simply part of who we are”.

“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever met an Egyptian who doesn’t love football,” she says.

“It brings together people from every walk of life in Egypt, and it does exactly the same for Egyptians living overseas. Whenever our national team plays, our community comes together.”

Zahran says to come up against Australia is “exciting”, she says, but also “bittersweet”.

“It’s a little sad that one team has to end the other’s World Cup journey,” she says. “At the same time, it’s a very special moment. Many people in our community proudly call both countries home.

“Whatever the result on Saturday, the Egyptian Australian community will be the winner because this match celebrates both sides of their identity.”

Hesham El Masry, the owner of Cairo Takeaway in Sydney’s Newtown, is also grappling with who to support. His restaurant had a similar scenes to Adly’s for Egypt’s game against Iran, with about 100 people crammed into the venue, huddling around a small TV screen.

El Masry says Egyptian-Australians are in “uncharted territory”.

“It’s a funny one because I’m born and bred Aussie,” he says. “I love Kunda [Nestory Irankunda] and I love the side.

“I’ve supported Liverpool because of Craig Johnston back in the 80s … But this one, it’s very strange. Usually you always have a gut instinct, but I haven’t decided yet.”

Still, he says perhaps who wins isn’t the point.

“It’s been a bit of a shit world lately,” he says. “And sometimes sporting events like this make us forget and rejoice and be happy. You feel it.

“You feel it in the air.”