Egypt players’ dinner video prompts questions after Hossam Hassan departure

Egypt players have fuelled speculation about their feelings towards former manager Hossam Hassan after sharing a video of themselves singing together during a training camp.

The footage was posted on Instagram on Tuesday evening by Mahmoud Hamdy El Wensh, the Zamalek defender who has returned to the Egypt squad. It showed El Wensh and his team-mates singing a popular Egyptian song around the dinner table, with the players appearing to be in high spirits.

Some followers interpreted the scene as a sign that the squad was relieved following the decision to part company with Hassan.

The video has also revived reports of dissatisfaction among some Egypt players over their former manager’s treatment of them. According to media reports, Hassan insulted a number of players after Egypt drew with Angola in the opening round of the current Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The reaction has been viewed alongside the fact that several of Egypt’s leading players did not publicly say goodbye to Hassan on their personal social media accounts. Captain Mohamed Salah, for example, posted a picture of himself sticking out his tongue after Trabzonspor’s victory over Alanyaspor in the Turkish league. Some interpreted that image as another expression of happiness at Hassan’s departure.

The Egyptian Football Association announced on Saturday that it had thanked Hassan and his coaching staff for their work and appointed Ali Maher as his replacement. Maher is due to be presented at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Hassan’s tenure ended after a series of disputes, including a confrontation with Salah following the forward’s substitution during the match against Angola. Media reports said the Trabzonspor player objected to the way Hassan dealt with Egypt’s players.

The former manager also strongly criticised goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy during one of his news conferences.

Hassan had also experienced family problems in recent months, which were cited as one of the main reasons behind the Egyptian Football Association’s decision to remove him.

El Wensh is among the most prominent players to return to the Egypt squad after being left out of Hassan’s plans for much of the past period. Nasser Maher and Mohamed El Shenawy have also been recalled.

Egypt are preparing to host Malawi on Friday in the third round of Group B in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They will then travel to face the same opponents on the following Tuesday in the fourth round.

The scheduled fixtures are Egypt v Malawi on 13 November 2026 and Malawi v Egypt on 17 November 2026.