Hossam Hassan dismisses Balogun controversy as Egypt focus on Argentina challenge

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan says his side will concentrate solely on their performance against Argentina after brushing aside questions about the controversy surrounding United States striker Folarin Balogun ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference in Atlanta, Hassan insisted the Pharaohs would not alter their approach because of the stature of their opponents, stressing that Egypt intend to impose their own style against the defending champions.

“All respect to the opponent, they are a great team, but our focus is on ourselves and the work we are doing. Today we had our first training session after the Australia match, and we worked collectively. I am satisfied with the preparations despite my awareness of the difficulty and importance of the match in the round of 16, and all the players are ready.”

Egypt aiming to make Africa proud

Hassan acknowledged the quality of Argentina, led by captain Lionel Messi, but insisted his players would not be intimidated by the reigning world champions.

“We came to the World Cup prepared to face all teams, so what about Argentina, which has a legend like Lionel Messi? But we don’t think about the opponent in a negative way, because that will not be in our favor. What matters to us is imposing our style on the field and playing our way without paying attention to the name of the opponent. Even in the friendly matches against Brazil and Spain, we were not preoccupied with the name of the opponent, because our biggest goal is to make the Egyptian people, the Arab world, and Africa, which we represent, happy.”

The Egypt coach also highlighted the significance of the World Cup for his players and expressed his ambition to showcase the country’s footballing talent on the global stage.

“The World Cup doesn’t come around often for players or coaches, and this is a great opportunity for Egyptian players to prove themselves and get the status they deserve, especially since we have been late in appearing at this level on many occasions, but we are seeking to make up for that now.”

Hassan explains Egypt’s preparations

Hassan revealed that Egypt’s technical staff have carefully prepared for the knockout encounter, with each member of the coaching team contributing to the tactical analysis.

“I draw the broad outlines, and I ask the performance analysts to prepare clips of the opponent, and it is natural for the players to watch them, whether to analyze the goalkeepers’ movements or the various technical aspects. Everyone does their job within the system.”

He also reflected on his coaching journey, saying managing Egypt at a World Cup presents an even greater challenge than representing the country as a player.

“I achieved a lot as a player, and I am happy with what I have done, but my happiness is greater in continuing this journey as a coach, and achieving the ambitions that I dreamed of when I was a player with a great national team like Egypt. This is the natural situation for our national team, and we want to prove to the world that we are a great team, and we have stars like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, in addition to many talents that will emerge during the coming period.”

“I considered the Africa Cup of Nations tournament as a preparation and qualification stage to appear at the best level in the World Cup, and I confirm that participating in the World Cup as a coach is much more difficult than participating as a player, because the coach bears the responsibility for the entire team.”

‘This is a malicious question’

Asked about the debate surrounding reports that US President Donald Trump intervened in the case involving Balogun’s suspension, Hassan smiled before declining to engage in the controversy.

“This is a malicious question.”

The Egypt coach nevertheless reaffirmed his respect for FIFA’s authority while revealing that his own team had unsuccessfully appealed the suspension of midfielder Mohannad Lasheen.

“But FIFA’s motto is fair play, and we respect all its decisions. We had a suspended player, Mohannad Lasheen, due to a warning that I consider undeserved, and he missed the Australia match. His absence had a clear impact, despite my constant emphasis on the importance of all players.”

“I had hoped that the appeal we submitted would be accepted, and I always assume good faith. We will do our part on the field, and we respect FIFA’s decisions, and I hope they will be fair and in everyone’s best interest.”

Egypt face Argentina national football team on Tuesday with a place in the World Cup quarter-finals at stake.