Cairo, Egypt – Khaled El-Darandaly, Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association and head of the national team’s delegation at the 2026 World Cup, confirmed that Captain Hossam Hassan will remain in his position as head coach of the Pharaohs immediately after the conclusion of the tournament. He highly praised the outstanding technical and physical work and the tremendous effort demonstrated by the entire coaching staff since he officially took charge of the team.
Widespread praise for the historic first World Cup victory
Khaled El-Darandaly expressed his immense joy at the historic and well-deserved victory achieved by the Egyptian national team against New Zealand, with a score of three goals to one, in the second round of the group stage of the tournament. This victory is the first for the Pharaohs in their long and distinguished history of participation in the World Cup. The victory was achieved thanks to the brilliant goals scored by the outstanding trio of Mostafa “Zico”, team captain Mohamed Salah, and the outstanding player Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet.
In a lengthy televised interview, El-Derendly stated that Hossam Hassan had brilliantly and intelligently managed the match. Thanks to his well-executed plan, he was able to neutralize all of New Zealand’s key players throughout both halves. He also noted that he personally had anticipated some minor adjustments to the starting lineup compared to the opening match against Belgium. However, the coach ultimately opted to maintain the same players who had featured in the challenging opening game to preserve team cohesion.
Full confidence from the Board of Directors and planning for the near future
The Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association emphasized that Hossam Hassan enjoys the full confidence of the entire board. He also affirmed that the coach has been making steady and successful progress since taking over the national team. This has been clearly reflected in the positive results and the team’s improved technical and physical condition recently, a fact readily apparent to everyone in the Egyptian sports community who support them.
He added that the Football Association intends to hold a lengthy and formal meeting with the head coach after the national team’s participation in the current 2026 World Cup concludes. This meeting will address the possibility of extending the contract between the two parties and outlining strategic plans for the next phase. This comes amidst widespread satisfaction and complete acceptance from all officials regarding the team’s performance and results under his wise and successful leadership at the World Cup.
Egyptian fans’ aspirations to continue their global journey
The Egyptian national team is experiencing an exceptional period of technical and moral stability following its impressive results in the tournament. This has significantly boosted the hopes of the vast Egyptian public for a continued journey and a major, unprecedented achievement in this edition of the World Cup. The team also aspires to write a new and bright chapter in the history of both African and Arab football. This comes amidst unwavering support from the public and media, as well as from all relevant parties, to overcome any obstacles facing this promising golden generation of outstanding players, capable of raising Egypt’s name high in this international sporting arena.
