No Rift, Just Tactics: Egypt Boss Dismisses Imam Ashour Substitution Rumors at AFCON 2025

Context and Reaction

Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan addressed rumors that star midfielder Imam Ashour was angry after being substituted in the opening group match against Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco. Ashour started the game but was replaced after 32 minutes by Mustafa Mohamed as Egypt sought to manage pressure following a Zimbabwe goal.

In the post-match press conference, Hassan explained the substitution was technical and motivated by Ashour’s long absence from the national team; the timing was chosen to protect the team and respond to the game's momentum rather than to discipline the player.

Outcome and Next Steps

The Pharaohs began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe and now prepare for a key clash with South Africa in the second group game. The team sits level on points at the top of Group B, sharing the lead with South Africa.

On social media, the Egyptian Football Association posted images of Hassan embracing Ashour at training, signaling a healthy relationship and denying any internal rift.

For fans, the message is simple: tactical substitutions happen; personalities aren’t shelved in the study of football, they’re tapped for the big moments. Now Egypt turns attention to Friday’s South Africa match, hoping to build on momentum and stay atop the group.

Punchlines et al: Sometimes a change is just a change, not a crisis—though the press conference might deserve its own subtitle: “Calm, not chaos.”

Punchline 2: If football had a reflex camera, substitution moments would be caption-worthy, but we get the clips and the commentary instead.