Media Firefight: Walid Al-Farag Slams Egypt’s Coach After AFCON Semi

Event details

Saudi broadcaster Walid Al-Farag targeted Egypt's national team coach Hossam Hassan after his post-match remarks following the Senegal game. Egypt went down 1-0 to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal held in Morocco.

What Hassan said

Hassan stated, "We are African, but we are Arabs, and I won't discuss what we heard from the stands. Egypt is great, Egypt is the mother of Arabs and Africa—by history there is none like us, by titles there is none like us, by strength we are stronger than everyone." He stressed that what happened in the tournament wasn’t fair and that some people wanted to keep Egypt from the final.

Al-Farag's response

Al-Farag posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) and said: "I respect Captain Hossam Hassan, I value Egypt and its football history, but I don't think it's appropriate for a coach of a great country like Egypt to show this way." He added: "Losing a tournament doesn't justify such a reaction; your country is big and doesn't need to spark a crisis with everyone."

Additionally, he noted: "I respect Egypt's tradition, but leadership requires composure and fair play." He concluded that national pride should not hinge on a single result.

Punchlines:

Sniper joke 1: If football had a conscience, it would coach itself—preferably with a mute button.

Sniper joke 2: Egypt's pride isn't in the headlines, it's in the fans queuing for coffee while drama brews on the pitch.