Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan said the team “reached the maximum we expected” after finishing fourth at AFCON 2025.
Nigeria claimed the bronze medal in Casablanca, winning 4–2 on penalties, with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saving spot-kicks from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. Nigeria also had two goals ruled out during regulation time, one after a VAR-confirmed foul and another for offside.
The result left Egypt with a familiar frustration, a match decided by narrow margins, and penalties once again refusing to cooperate.
“We delivered a very strong tournament”
Speaking after the match, Hassan praised his squad’s overall run, which included an extra-time win over Benin and a quarter-final victory over defending champions Ivory Coast before Egypt fell 1–0 to Senegal in the semi-finals.
“We delivered a very strong tournament, I’m proud of the players, and we reached the maximum we expected,” Hossam Hassan said.
He also addressed the noise around regional support in Morocco, stressing that fans do not owe any team their allegiance.
“Everyone is free to support the team they want,” he said. Pointing to Egypt’s own backing of Morocco during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the coach described the relationship between teams and supporters across the region as ultimately one community.
Missed chances and a reality check
Hassan argued Egypt were close to beating “a very strong” Nigeria, saying the path to the final could realistically have included any of the semi-finalists.
But he returned repeatedly to the “randomness” of shootouts. “Penalties are God’s will, and nobody can predict them,” he said. Further claiming that Egypt had trained for spot-kicks before the tournament, even if they “don’t follow any measurable standards.”
Egypt also went into the Nigeria match, dealing with a late but expected disruption. Hossam Hassan revealed he was informed of CAF suspensions to Marwan Attia and Salah Mohsen shortly before bedtime, but insisted the squad had prepared for every scenario.
Hossam Hassan used the post-match briefing to defend his approach, rejecting the idea that Egypt lacked a clear identity during the AFCON.
“No team in the world plays only one way,” he said, insisting Egypt’s tactical adjustments were opponent-specific rather than “change for the sake of change.”
Additionally, he was pleased with the contribution of Egypt-based players. However, he said he wants more players to move abroad to raise the national team’s ceiling.
For Nigeria, the win delivered a record ninth third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations. For Egypt, it marked another fourth-place finish.