Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egyptian national team, expressed his deep sadness over Mohamed Hamdi’s cruciate ligament injury during the Benin match, which ended with the Pharaohs winning (3-1), in the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations.
Egypt has secured a place in the quarter-finals of the continental tournament, where they await the winner of the match between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Hossam Hassan said during the press conference following the match: “I dedicate this victory to the Egyptian people and Mohamed Hamdi, and I am very sad about his cruciate ligament injury, as he is a distinguished player and represents a great addition to the national team”.
He added, “We are happy with the win and qualification for the quarter-finals in a tournament that is considered the strongest in years. The Benin team is a respectable team and played a great match, and as I said before, there are no easy matches”.
He continued, “I thank the players for the great effort they made, and all members of the technical and administrative staff. The players will fight in the quarter-final match to dedicate the victory to Mohamed Hamdi”.
Regarding Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet’s injury, he explained, “Trezeguet has an ankle ligament injury, and work is currently underway to prepare him for the upcoming matches”.
The Egyptian national team coach added, “I respect all teams, but we as Egypt always play to win and claim the title. Football does not recognize history, but rather performance on the field”.
He added, “The national team players have a high spirit, and I thank them for their great efforts throughout the tournament”.
Regarding his coaching career, Hossam Hassan said, “I worked with many great coaches, but Mahmoud El-Gohary will always be a big name for me, and I gained great experience from him”.
He concluded his remarks by saying: “We will start preparing for the quarter-final match tomorrow, and we are ready to face any team. I have 27 high-level players, and I thank the medical and administrative staff and everyone who works within the national team”.
