Hany Abou Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, has confirmed a clear preparation plan for Egypt’s national team as it targets a strong showing at the 2026 World Cup.
He praised the team’s recent performances at the Africa Cup of Nations and backed coach Hossam Hassan to lead the next phase with confidence.
Abou Rida expressed satisfaction with Egypt’s run to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, highlighting the effort and resilience shown by the players. He thanked the coaching staff, led by Hossam Hassan, for restoring competitiveness and spirit to the squad.
He explained that fatigue affected several players in the semi-final against Senegal due to tight scheduling, which he believes played a role in preventing Egypt from reaching the final. This assessment came during a press conference also attended by Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi and team director Ibrahim Hassan, reflecting unified institutional support.
Abou Rida announced that Egypt will hold a training camp in Qatar in March as the opening step of its World Cup build-up. The camp is designed to improve tactical cohesion and match fitness ahead of a demanding friendly schedule.
He revealed a high-profile friendly against Spain during this camp, describing Spain as “the best in the world and the team that tops the rankings, alongside the Saudi national team.” This match is seen as a key benchmark to measure Egypt against elite opposition.
The Egypt FA president confirmed that the team will face Brazil in a friendly in June, with another international friendly currently being arranged. These fixtures aim to expose the players to different playing styles and big-game pressure before the World Cup.
Abou Rida stressed that Egypt’s displays at the Africa Cup of Nations have created optimism about achieving good results on the global stage. He underlined that the relationship between the players and the technical staff is strong and free of tensions, which he considers essential for sustaining progress.
