Egypt ‘did not benefit’ from South Africa friendly – El-Tabie

Egypt’s 1-0 defeat by South Africa has prompted criticism of coach Hossam Hassan, with former international Bashir El-Tabie claiming the Pharaohs gained little from the friendly.

South Africa secured victory in Cairo on Sunday, with Egypt’s performance drawing criticism from sections of the country’s media, including former players and football pundits.

Despite the defeat, reports suggest Hassan is not currently facing an immediate threat to his position, although some have called for the coach to be dismissed following the disappointing display.

El-Tabie, who previously played for Egypt and Zamalek, criticised Hassan’s decision to field a strong starting XI in a friendly.

“You feel that Hossam Hassan is still suffering from pressure because of what happened to him in the past,” El-Tabie said on CBC.

“The national team played the match with the first-choice lineup, and they should have played with the substitutes, just as Mosimane did with South Africa.

“The team had no taste or colour except for Mohannad Lasheen, and it would have been better for Hamza Abdelkarim to have started and been given a bigger opportunity, especially since it was a friendly.”

El-Tabie believes South Africa gained more from the match than Egypt, particularly after securing the win.

“Egypt did not benefit from the friendly against South Africa, while Bafana Bafana were the ones who benefited, in addition to securing the victory,” he added.

He identified goalkeeper Mahdy Soliman’s appearance and Lasheen’s performance as the main positives for Egypt.

“Mahdy Soliman’s participation and Mohannad Lasheen’s performance were the most positive things in the Egypt-South Africa match,” El-Tabie said.

The defeat has increased scrutiny on Hassan, although he is expected to remain in charge for now.