Head coach of Egypt Hossam Hassan has confirmed his outfit readiness for the upcoming semi-final clash against Senegal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Pharaohs, who chasing their eighth AFCON title defeated Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals of the tournament, setting up a tricky encounter against Senegal at the continental showpiece.
It promises to be a thrilling clash, as both teams will be yearning for victory to secure a place in the finals of the tournament, being held in Morocco.
“The players are ready for the match and we respect the opponent. The Senegalese team had an extra day of rest, but the team is physically ready.”
“Transforming the Egyptian national team into a collective team? Every coach has his own method. We study all the solutions and opponents with the players and focus on the details. I have great players who want to achieve great things in this very strong tournament, unlike previous editions. Increasing the number of professionals in the national teams has made them stronger.”
“I am biased towards national coaches like Mahmoud El-Gohary and Hassan Shehata. The duo were the reason for our winning the African championships. The national coach is the best and closest to the national team player.”
“I am not convinced that there is a complex against the Senegalese national team. We are the champions of the Africa Cup of Nations 7 times. The complex is for those who have not won the title before. I have already defeated the Senegalese national team in the 2000 edition and scored a goal, so there is no such thing as a complex, otherwise no team that has lost a match against its opponent would play again because it knows that it will inevitably lose.”
The match between Egypt and Senegal is a repeat of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final in Cameroon, where the Taranga Lions triumphed over the Pharaohs to clinch their first AFCON title.
Besides, the Taranga Lions prevented the North African country from securing a spot in the upcoming 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar.
