Hossam Hassan says Egypt’s Angola draw was natural after World Cup break

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan said his side’s goalless draw with Angola was an understandable result after a lengthy period without matches and limited fitness preparation.

Hassan was speaking after Egypt beat South Sudan 5-0 in their second match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“It was natural that we drew with Angola after a long period without playing matches following the end of the World Cup, and because the players were not fully ready physically after the league had started,” Hassan said at his news conference.

He said the victory over South Sudan had not been as straightforward as the scoreline suggested, citing the conditions and the playing surface.

“The match was difficult despite the big winning margin because of the high temperature and our lack of familiarity with playing on artificial pitches,” he added.

Hassan said Egypt had prepared carefully for their opponents and had identified the areas they needed to target.

“We studied South Sudan well, understood the strengths and weaknesses of the team, and worked on them,” he said.

The Egypt manager also praised the entire squad, including those who came on during the match.

“I am satisfied with the performance of all the players, both those who started the match and the substitutes,” he said.

Hassan rejected the suggestion that he had criticised the Egyptian Premier League, saying his comments had been about the players’ physical condition rather than the competition itself.

“I did not criticise the Egyptian league. I only spoke about the players not yet reaching the required physical level because only five rounds of the league have been played,” he explained.

He also highlighted the importance of the country’s leading clubs to the national team.

“I am fortunate to have big Egyptian clubs such as Al Ahly and Zamalek. We have the biggest and best clubs on the African continent,” Hassan said.

“Egypt’s national team and its clubs complement one another, and we work together to raise Egypt’s name,” he added.

Egypt secured their second victory over South Sudan by scoring five times without reply. Omar Marmoush scored twice, while Zico, Ibrahim Adel and Hamza Abdelkarim each scored once.

The result moved Egypt to four points in their group.