Hossam Hassan’s ‘Who said Ziko?’ moment during Egypt defeat by South Africa

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan was caught on camera asking “Who said Ziko?” during Sunday’s friendly defeat by South Africa at Cairo Stadium.

The hosts lost 1-0 after Buso Dithijani scored the only goal of the match in the 51st minute. The South Africa forward capitalised on a poor decision by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir before calmly placing the ball into the net.

The game was part of both teams’ preparations for their upcoming commitments.

Egypt tried to respond after falling behind and, in the 69th minute, Hassan made two substitutions as he sought to change the course of the match. Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Hamza Abdelkarim were introduced as the Pharaohs looked for an equaliser.

But as the Egypt coaching staff prepared to make the changes, Mostafa Ziko appeared in front of the television cameras, seemingly ready to leave the pitch.

Hassan noticed the player and turned towards members of the administrative staff behind him, asking in surprise: “Who said Ziko?”

The Egypt manager then decided to keep Mostafa Ziko on the field, while Omar Marmoush was withdrawn instead. The unexpected exchange was captured by the cameras and became one of the most notable moments of the match.

Egypt were unable to find a way back despite their efforts in the second half. The hosts had enjoyed significant possession but failed to turn it into an equaliser, while South Africa defended their advantage until the final whistle.