Walid Regragui backs Hossam Hassan as proof of Arab coaching quality

Walid Regragui has pointed to Hossam Hassan’s achievements with Egypt as evidence that Arab national teams can be successfully managed by local coaches rather than foreign appointments.

The former Morocco manager said Egypt’s progress under Hassan demonstrated the strength available among Arab coaches, highlighting the team’s qualification for the World Cup, its run to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations and its passage to the last 16 at the World Cup.

“Why do we prefer the foreign coach with our Arab national teams? Take Egypt under Hossam Hassan as an example. They reached the World Cup and the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, and qualified for the last 16 at the World Cup, an achievement the Pharaohs had never achieved before,” Regragui told Atheer.

Hassan’s continued leadership of Egypt was confirmed by the Egyptian Football Association, which announced that his contract had been renewed until the 2030 World Cup.

Regragui said that Egypt’s results were a clear indication that domestic coaching talent should be trusted more widely.

“This shows that quality is available in the national coach. We have played at the highest levels, so which coach will understand the sons of our country better than us?” he added.

The former Morocco boss also rejected the assumption that coaches working in Europe were automatically superior to those from the Arab world.

“I do not believe that Luis Enrique, for example, is better than me because he coaches in Europe. I have confidence in myself that I am no less than any other coach,” Regragui said.

He added that his own playing and coaching experience had prepared him to work at the highest level of the game.

“I have the experience that qualifies me to coach at the highest levels in football,” he concluded.

Regragui also referred to his own record with Morocco, who reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup under his leadership. The run was described as the greatest achievement by an African and Arab side at the World Cup.

His comments come as Hossam Hassan prepares to continue in charge of Egypt with the team’s attention extending towards the 2030 World Cup. Hassan’s new agreement ensures that he will remain responsible for the Pharaohs through that tournament, while Regragui used Egypt’s progress to argue that national teams should place greater faith in coaches from their own regions.

The central point of Regragui’s argument was that familiarity with local players and cultures can be as important as a coach’s experience working abroad. In his view, Arab coaches who have competed at the highest levels possess the knowledge and qualifications required to lead their national teams.