Egypt's Coaching Storm: Hassan Brothers Tangled in AFCON 2025 Fallout Over Morocco Remarks
16 January 2026
The Egyptian Football Association is moving to question national team coach Hossam Hassan and his brother Ibrahim Hassan following recent remarks about Morocco, as reported by the Moroccan outlet El Botola.
Sources described as prominent in Egyptian football said the federation plans to hold an official session with the Hassan brothers to review the controversial statements that drew broad reactions.
People close to the situation suggested the matter could lead to a mutual termination of the contract, while the Egyptian federation seeks to defuse the situation and mend relations with Morocco.
Official Egyptian Statement
Hany Abou Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, sent a formal note of thanks to Fouzi Lekjaa, head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, expressing appreciation for the flawless organization and notable success of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, a move seen as an official correction to the coach’s remarks.
Hossam Hassan had claimed that certain parties did not want Egypt to reach the final—without naming them—while noting that Moroccan fans supposedly cheered for Senegal.
Egypt's coach also criticized his side’s shorter rest compared with Senegal, the travel from Agadir to Tangier before the semi-final, and the ensuing confrontations with Moroccan fans and media during the press conference ahead of the clash with Nigeria for third place.
