Clash of Tactics: Hassan vs Fai as AFCON Quarterfinal Sparks in Morocco
8 January 2026
Context and Coaches
Saturday’s AFCON quarterfinal between Egypt and Ivory Coast will be a tactical duel off the touchline, as Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan goes head-to-head with Ivory Coast boss Emers Fai.
Fai, at 41, steered the Elephants to last year’s title on home soil in a dramatic turnaround after taking over in February 2024 following the sacking of French coach Jean-Louis Gasset.
Fai’s side clinched the crown by beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final.
From Last Final to Current Showdown
Hassan took charge of Egypt around the same time after the Pharaohs were eliminated in the last edition’s Round of 16 by the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting the dismissal of Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria.
The match marks the first time Hassan and Fai will clash off the touchlines in 20 years, since their teams met on January 28, 2006 in the group stage of AFCON, a tournament that Egypt would go on to win.
Egypt beat Ivory Coast 3-1 that day, with Emad Meteb opening at 9’, Aruna Kone equalizing at 42’, then Mohamed Aboutrika scoring at 60’ and Meteb adding a third in the 69th minute.
The 2006 Final and Current Stakes
Hassan came on as a substitute for Ahmed Hossam “Mido” after 23 minutes due to an injury, while Fai played the full match.
Fai also played the final that Egypt won 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw, though Hassan did not feature and watched from the bench.
Humor break: If their tactical map were a sniper scope, both coaches would still need a bigger lens to spot the target—tonight, it’s the net.
Sniper-style finale: If coaching were a sniper duel, these two would take their shots and still have to squint through the newsroom glare to find the goal.
