I hope Emam Ashour will apologize to his Al Ahly teammates – Ibrahim Hassan

Egyptian national team director Ibrahim Hassan has urged Al Ahly midfielder Emam Ashour to apologize to his teammates following his recent disciplinary issues.

Ashour is currently serving a two-week suspension after missing the CAF Champions League trip against Young Africans and has been fined 1.5 million Egyptian pounds for failing to comply with club regulations.

Speaking to On Sport, Hassan described Ashour as a kind-hearted player but expressed concern over possible outside influences affecting his decisions.

“I don’t know if this is linked to the penalty incident or other personal commitments, but Imam started the national team camp completely exhausted,” Hassan said.

He added a plea for the midfielder to refocus: “My message to him is simple—stand on your own two feet, focus, and the results will follow. Stepping away now means starting from scratch, which will hurt both him and the system. Time is short, and he has crucial matches ahead for Al Ahly and the national team.”

Hassan also called on Al Ahly to address the situation internally.

“If he is at fault, he should apologize to the club and fans so the matter can be resolved. We hope he commits fully moving forward. We have not interfered directly in the situation because it is sensitive, and we are following it through the media.”

The director emphasized the importance of Ashour regaining form, noting that higher-level competitions than the Africa Cup of Nations await, and the team needs him ready and focused.