Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has highlighted the positives from his side’s run at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the team has gained valuable experience despite falling short of lifting the trophy.
The Pharaohs are set to face Nigeria on Saturday evening in the third-place playoff of the tournament.
Speaking at a press conference, Hassan expressed satisfaction with Egypt’s overall performance, stressing that the campaign offered more positives than negatives.
“Thank God for our hard work in the tournament. We reached the semi-finals and performed strongly. There are certainly positives and negatives, but the positives outweigh the negatives,” he said.
The Egyptian coach pointed to injuries as one of the major challenges faced during the competition, singling out Mohamed Hamdi’s setback.
“The most difficult thing was the injuries, especially Mohamed Hamdi’s cruciate ligament injury, and he will not be with us in the World Cup because of that injury,” Hassan noted.
Hassan went on to underline his contentment with the team’s display throughout the tournament, describing it as ideal preparation for future assignments.
“I am very satisfied with the performance of the Egyptian national team in the tournament. This was the best preparation for us for the World Cup. We were close to qualifying for the final, but that’s football,” he added.
Despite admitting that fatigue played a role, particularly in the semi-final clash against Senegal, Hassan maintained that the players delivered strong performances.
He continued, “We faced fatigue between matches, especially the Senegal match, but I am satisfied with the players’ performance and we played exceptionally well in the tournament.”
Looking ahead to the match against Nigeria, the Egypt coach expressed optimism about finishing the competition on a positive note. He is confident about a win to ensure the Pharaohs finish the tournament with the bronze medal.
“In tomorrow’s match against Nigeria, we will try to take advantage of the morale boost and win it, and technically, in preparation for the World Cup. Facing Nigeria before the Africa Cup of Nations was good preparation for the tournament,” he noted.
