Egypt manager Hossam Hassan addressed criticism of his tactical decisions after the victory against Cape Verde.
Egypt began their journey in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a commanding 3-0 victory over Cape Verde.
In the press conference, Hossam Hassan stated: “The players deserve all the praise, especially after a long season. Even players coming from abroad did something miraculous.”
“I was prepared to be dissected for my lineup choices, but every decision had a purpose.
“How can you bring players just four days before the match, without a preparation period, and play against a strong team like Cape Verde that fights until the last minute?”
“We handled Cape Verde well in the match, but we faced difficult circumstances due to injuries.”
“Just as you were surprised by the lineup and the change in players’ positions if something bad had happened, ‘I would have been dissected.’ Any coach has ideas that may succeed or fail, but I know Trezeguet’s capabilities. He has played in many positions throughout his career, starting from Al Ahly.”
The manager highlighted his controversial decision to start Hamdi Fathi over team captain Ahmed Hegazi, explaining, “Hamdi Fathi offers versatility that is crucial against teams like Cape Verde. He can adapt quickly and cover multiple roles, which was necessary for our strategy.
“We created many chances, and I was convinced by the substitutions. I wanted to give some players, like Marwan Ateya, a bit of rest because of the heavy load and the long season the players went through, but the injuries of Mostafa Mohamed and Rami Rabia forced me to change some of my plans.
“I have confidence in Hegazi, but building the attack from the back requires Hamdy Fathy, who has played in this position before and can prepare attacks well from the back with his speed, and the same goes for Rami Rabia.”
Hossam acknowledged the player’s role in the team saying: “Ahmed Hegazi is the first captain of the Egyptian national team alongside Mohamed Salah, but any player would be upset about not participating.
“I don’t want to dwell on this matter. This happens in football everywhere, but without crossing lines. Hegazi wanted to play, but I felt he wasn’t mentally prepared to participate and wasn’t performing in a way that would benefit him or the team.”
He discussed Salah’s role in the game saying: “Cape Verde’s defense marking Mohamed Salah gave freedom to Mohamed Hany and Ahmed Mostafa Zizo to advance, and we utilized that well.”
“Despite Cape Verde pushing until the end, we had clear chances up to the last moment, and I was determined to play this way. I asked the players to execute set-piece plays even if they didn’t work out, but fortunately, we managed to score the first goal in that way.”
With this victory, Egypt tops the group that also includes Mauritania and Botswana, ahead of a second clash against the latter on September 10.
For the first time since November last year, when they defeated Djibouti 6-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Egyptian national team scored three or more goals in a single match.