Hossam Hassan Pushes Boundaries as Egypt Maps AFCON Journey in UAE
20 October 2025
Hossam Hassan Sets Conditions Ahead of UAE Camp
Hossam Hassan, Egypt's head coach, has laid out his conditions ahead of the Pharaohs' camp in November, to be held in the United Arab Emirates.
Hany Abu Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, held a meeting with the national team's staff led by Hassan, with Alaa Nabil, the federation's technical director, and Mohamed Sharbini, a board member, in attendance.
AFCON Prep, Friendlies, and Group Details
Egypt is expected to participate in a friendly tournament in the UAE alongside Uzbekistan, Iran, and Cape Verde in November.
Sources told KOOORA that Hassan objected to facing Cape Verde since Egypt has played them before, and he hopes to test a major African side such as Nigeria, Senegal, or Morocco.
Hassan had previously declined the idea of playing Brazil due to the tight schedule between the UAE's Super Cup (November 6-9) and the international window, especially since the offer involved a Brazil clash in Europe.
The meeting also covered preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. Hassan asked Abu Rida to arrange two friendly matches with African teams before traveling to Morocco.
Egypt are in Group B with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Angola, opening against Zimbabwe on December 22, then meeting South Africa on December 26 and facing Angola on December 29.
Abu Rida promised to remove any obstacles in the Pharaohs' path before the continental tournament, hoping to repeat a notable achievement and reclaim the title last won in 2010.
Support, Governance, and Moroccans Triumph
Abu Rida and Hassan also visited Egypt's under-17s training under Ahmed Al-Kass to boost the players before the World Cup for youth.
The Egyptian FA previously issued an official statement denying talk of new appointments or special bonuses for the senior team in connection with World Cup qualification.
The federation stressed ongoing coordination with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on all matters, with decisions announced only through official federation channels.
Spokesman Mohamed Shazly said a key meeting would be held soon with the federation board chaired by Hany Abu Rida and the sponsor company leadership, upon the minister's return from France, to discuss plans to develop the national teams.
The minister is personally following the infrastructure, stadium readiness, and training camps to ensure optimal conditions for the first team and other national squads.
Morocco Triumph and the Arab Football Wave
Separately, the Egyptian FA congratulated the Royal Moroccan Football Federation on Morocco's U-20 World Cup title in Chile after defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final, a historic milestone that fills Arabs and Africans with pride.
The federation stressed that this achievement adds to the Arab football image on the world stage and demonstrates the success of youth development programs and investments in new generations, with wishes for continued success for Morocco in future events.
Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi also sent official congratulations to Morocco's minister, noting that Morocco's win is historic and a source of pride for all Arabs. He emphasized that the victory shows a solid planning model for Arab sport and the importance of nurturing young talents in a professional environment to shape future stars, and that Arab football is moving toward global recognition through regional cooperation.
To cap it off with levity, if football planning had a soundtrack, Egypt would be playing the drumline with a smile—because sometimes you win the chorus if you nail the tempo in the bridge. And yes, even a snorter of humor can score a crucial equalizer in theory, right? Punchline incoming: our game plan is so well-structured that even the referee carries a spreadsheet. Second punchline: if confidence were a goal, Egypt’s squad would be topping the charts with a selfie of success.
