An Egyptian cyclist has set off from the heart of Cairo heading to Moscow to support his national football team at the World Cup in Russia.

Mohammed Nufal, 24, embarked on the long-haul journey on Saturday and is planning to cross seven countries including Jordan, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

"The languages are among the biggest challenges," Mr Nufal said. "I will deal with that using translation apps and sign language."

He expects the trip to take 65 days, covering a distance of some 7,000 kilometres.

Mr Nufal also believes the weather will be bearable during the trek.

He had previously biked for 70 days to Gabon, passing through Chad, Sudan and Cameroon.

Egypt qualified for this year's World Cup for the first time since 1990.

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