Egypt coach Hossam Hassan under pressure to secure first win in AFCON qualifiers

Egypt will be looking to secure their first victory of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they face South Sudan in Juba on Tuesday, with Hossam Hassan’s side under pressure to respond after a disappointing opening draw against Angola.

The Pharaohs were held to a goalless draw by Angola in their first Group B fixture despite playing in front of their home supporters, leaving them with little room for another setback as they continue their pursuit of a place at the next Africa Cup of Nations.

South Sudan also failed to win their opening match, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Malawi.

The contrasting expectations surrounding the two teams mean the encounter is not simply another group fixture for Egypt. The Pharaohs are regarded as one of the strongest sides in the group and will be expected to take maximum points against a South Sudan team ranked significantly below them.

Egypt’s need for victory has also increased the spotlight on coach Hossam Hassan, who has faced criticism in recent days following the draw with Angola and several of his recent comments concerning the national team.

Hassan has come under scrutiny over his decisions, including his stance on goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and his assessment of the current level of Egyptian league clubs.

The pressure increased after Egypt failed to break down Angola at home despite having several of their leading players available.

Hassan will therefore be hoping his team can produce a more convincing performance in Juba and return to winning ways.

The coach has also had to make adjustments to his squad, with captain Mohamed Salah unavailable for the match because of the artificial playing surface at Juba Stadium.

The Egyptian Football Association confirmed that Salah would miss the game because of concerns over his participation on a synthetic pitch.

Salah’s absence represents a significant change for Egypt, given his importance to the team both as an attacking threat and as captain.

The technical staff responded by calling up Al Ahly Bank striker Osama Faisal to strengthen the attacking options.

Nice defender Mohamed Abdel Moneim will also miss the encounter because of concerns relating to his previous cruciate ligament injury. The defender was left out of the travelling squad after medical advice warned against him playing on the artificial surface.

However, Hassan still has experienced alternatives in defence, including Hossam Abdel Meguid and Rami Rabia.

Egypt’s situation in Group B could also become more complicated depending on the outcome of the other fixture between Angola and Malawi.

A victory for Angola would take them to four points, while another win for Malawi would give them six points from their opening two matches.

For Egypt, securing three points in Juba would therefore help them avoid becoming caught up in early qualification calculations and keep them firmly in contention for one of the two qualification places from the group.

The Pharaohs are seeking a return to the Africa Cup of Nations title, which they have not won since 2010, while the 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

There is also a sizeable difference between the two teams in the FIFA rankings.

Egypt are ranked 24th in the world and third in Africa, behind Morocco and Senegal, while South Sudan are ranked 171st globally.

The Pharaohs will also be looking to protect their position in the world rankings, with Nigeria just one place behind them in 25th.

Egypt currently have 1,590.02 ranking points, narrowly ahead of Nigeria on 1,589.70.

While the rankings underline the difference between the two sides on paper, Egypt will need to demonstrate that superiority on the pitch when they take on South Sudan.

For Hassan, the immediate objective is clear: secure three points, restore confidence and give Egypt a stronger foundation for the remainder of their AFCON qualifying campaign.