Hassan Twins Under Fire as Provocations Spark Atlas Lions Fury After AFCON Clash
6 January 2026
Controversy Around Hassan Twins After AFCON Win
According to a Moroccan outlet, the actions of Hossam Hassan, Egypt's head coach, and his brother Ibrahim Hassan, the assistant, after Egypt's 3-1 victory over Benin in the AFCON 2025 round of 16 stirred anger among Moroccan fans who called the behavior unprovoked provocation.
The Moroccan site El Botola said the issue began after Mohamed Salah's third goal, when a video circulated showing Hossam Hassan walking toward the stands and speaking in a furious tone.
The controversy grew after the final whistle when Ibrahim Hassan saluted only the Egyptian supporters and made a gesture suggesting a deliberate snub to Moroccan fans at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir, prompting angry responses inside the arena.
The report noted that Moroccan fans were particularly upset given the strong support for Egypt in the group stage, with the Agadir stadium full of Egyptian fans receiving wide media praise.
It concluded that the episode rekindled debate about the behavior of some members of Egypt's technical staff at a time when Moroccans hoped for a display of fraternity and mutual support between the teams.
Egypt progressed to the quarterfinals after defeating Benin 3-1 in a match that extended to 120 minutes after extra time, and they will face the winner of Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso on Saturday.
Hossam Hassan later said the reports had been misinterpreted, adding in comments to reporters after the match that he had repeatedly praised the Moroccan fans who had supported Egypt so strongly during the tournament.
The Egypt head coach stated that he did not intend to insult Moroccan fans and was very happy with their support, emphasizing that what happened was a moment of high emotion in the heat of the game.
In short, the episode added spice to the knockout stage while the team focus remains on the next match.
Punchlines: If football were a comedy, extra time would be the punchline. And remember: never underestimate fans they bring momentum and the whistle still has the last word.
