Rabat, Morocco – Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egyptian national team, stressed the readiness of the “Pharaohs” to face South Africa in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt is scheduled to play South Africa on Friday evening. This match is part of the second round of group stage matches in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Hossam Hassan said in statements during the press conference: “We respect all teams, and the South African team is one of the strong teams. But we play to achieve positive results and we play to collect the three points. And all matches are important”.
He added, “We play each match individually and study the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents. All the players are ready, especially the goalkeepers. I trust them all”.
He continued, “I thank the Egyptian and Moroccan fans for supporting us in the match against Zimbabwe, and we feel comfortable being in the sister country of Morocco”.
He continued, “I am happy with the Egyptian public’s support for the Egyptian national team and their backing of us. I have confidence in all the players, and every match has a different style of play”.
He added, “My role as a technical director is to address any mistakes that may occur during the match. South Africa’s style of play is similar to their clubs, and we have faced them more than once through Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids”.
He added, “We outperformed South Africa in the 1998 edition, and God willing, we will repeat that tomorrow”.
The position of Mustafa Mohamed and Mohamed Hamdi
Regarding the situation of the duo Mostafa Mohamed and Mohamed Hamdi, he said: “The readiness of Mostafa Mohamed and Mohamed Hamdi will be decided in today’s training session, Thursday”.
“The Africa Cup of Nations includes strong teams, and this is normal. Football has variables, and every team that faces Egypt does its best. Everyone who faces us seeks to achieve positive results against us. But we are ready”.
Hossam Hassan reveals the reason for substituting Emam Ashour in the Zimbabwe match
He explained, “Imam Ashour is a great player, and his substitution was due to the style of play and the choice to play with a pure striker.”
He continued, “We are ready to face any team in the tournament, and we fear no one”.
He added, “The numbers and statistics confirm our superiority in the Zimbabwe match, and we performed at a distinguished level. I am happy with the players’ performance, especially Mohamed Salah.”
Hossam Hassan concluded his remarks by saying, “Mohamed El Shenawy is one of the best goalkeepers in Africa, and Salah is one of the best players in the world. I have complete confidence in all the players and I am satisfied with their performance.”
