Pharaohs of Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has said other African nations are jealous of Egypt’s record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles.
Hassan also criticised the AFCON organisers, accusing them of unfair treatment towards his team. He claimed Egypt were disadvantaged by the match schedule and suggested that envy of their success influenced the situation.
“Egypt does not need excuses or apologies. Egypt is great, and no one will dare to win seven titles like us,” Hassan said.
He argued that Egypt were not given sufficient rest compared to their opponents, questioning why his side had to play a day later while Senegal contested a semi-final on the same pitch.
“By what FIFA law is what happened to the Egypt team done? When a team reaches the semi-finals, do you honour it or torture it?” he asked.
Hassan maintained that all teams should have been given equal rest to guarantee a fair and competitive semi-final, insisting that Egypt were the only team placed at a disadvantage.
He also reacted to chants from the crowd during the match, saying he instructed his players to ignore the noise and remain focused.
“We are Arabs of Africa, and Egypt is great — the mother of the Arabs and the mother of Africa in terms of history and titles — and everyone is jealous,” he said.
Egypt will now aim to end their AFCON 2025 campaign on a positive note when they face Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the third-place playoff on Saturday. Earlier in the tournament build-up, Hassan’s side defeated Nigeria 2–1 in a pre-tournament friendly in Cairo.
