The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) will hold a joint press conference on Thursday featuring its president Hany Abu Rida and national team coach Hossam Hassan, with Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi also in attendance at the EFA headquarters in 6th of October City.
The event comes in the wake of Egypt’s fourth-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco, and rising tension surrounding the fallout from that campaign.
The press conference will focus on outlining Egypt’s preparation plan for the 2026 World Cup and reaffirming the federation’s confidence in Hossam Hassan as head coach. The EFA wants to send a clear message of continuity and stability around the technical staff despite criticism that followed the team’s performances at AFCON.
An official source within the EFA told Kooora that Abu Rida and Hassan agreed, in coordination with the Sports Minister, to use the press conference to address all circumstances that led to the recent tension between the Egyptian national team and Moroccan fans during the tournament.
The federation is keen to stress its respect for Moroccan supporters and to reject any attempts to create discord or fuel hostility between the two fan bases.
The Egyptian Sports Minister has already spoken with his Moroccan counterpart in recent hours to emphasize the strength and depth of relations between the two countries.
This diplomatic outreach, together with the planned press conference, reflects an effort to turn the page on the AFCON controversy and refocus attention on Egypt’s future on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
