Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan delivered a fiery response to critics following the national team’s victory over Cape Verde on penalties in the Al-Ain International Friendly Cup.
Speaking in a post-match, Hassan pointed out the exhaustion among players and emphasized that limited recovery time contributed to the team’s muted performance. He lamented the scheduling of the Egyptian Super Cup just before the national team’s training camp, arguing it negatively impacted preparation ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.
“We were affected by fatigue and didn’t have enough time to recover.” He explained the challenge of managing players’ physical loads, saying, “I tried to give everyone a chance and avoid injuries, but raising intensity would have led to more injuries.” The coach praised substitute goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who saved two penalty kicks to secure the win.
Addressing strong media criticism, Hassan fiercely declared, “Do you know my history with Egypt? While many criticize, we made history wearing the national colors.” He added, “Those who attack us just want to create trends. I am not interested. The real aim is to undermine the national coach.”
Hassan defended his decision to substitute starting goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in favor of Shobeir, calling it a tactical move based on Shobeir’s penalty-saving ability. He downplayed El Shenawy’s frustration, describing it as a minor issue.
Egypt is now preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, aiming to reclaim continental glory and add to their record tally of seven titles.