Rabat, Morocco – Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian national team coach, expressed his pride in the Pharaohs’ performance following their 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Nigeria. The match was for third place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and took place on Saturday evening at the Mohammed V Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Hossam Hassan said in statements after the match: “I am proud of the national team players, and we exerted the utmost effort possible during the tournament,” adding: “We were the closest to achieving victory against a strong team that includes great players”.
The technical director pointed out that the absences affected the team, explaining: “We suffered from significant absences due to injury and suspension, namely Mohamed Hamdi, Ahmed Fatouh and Yasser Ibrahim due to injury, in addition to Marwan Attia and Salah Mohsen due to suspension”.
Hossam Hassan confirmed that the national team gained important technical advantages, saying: “We gained more than one player during the tournament, and the current edition witnessed the participation of 11 players for the first time wearing the national team jersey”.
He added: “The Egyptian player has outstanding capabilities, and with the increase in the number of professionals, the strength of the national team will increase,” noting that “penalty kicks depend on luck, which did not favor us in today’s match”.
He concluded his remarks by saying: “I respect all the teams and fans, and the current Africa Cup of Nations has witnessed strong levels from all the teams, and we are leaving the tournament with a sporting spirit and good relations with everyone”.
