Egyptian national team manager Hossam Hassan has opened fire on the EFA for the short preparation period, while insisting his team can’t be compared to Morocco.
The Pharaohs will face Cape Verde in Cairo on September 6 before heading to play Botswana in Gaborone on 10 September to kick off the AFCON 2025 qualifiers campaign.
Hossam Hassan will face a headache due to the unreadiness of the local players, who just finished their vacation as the Egyptian domestic season just finished in August.
In the pre-match press conference, Hassan said: “We are in a phase of changing the ages of players and bringing in new elements. If I don’t think about that, then I am working the wrong way. Players are aging, but there are players like Trezeguet and Mohamed Salah who I know are capable of maintaining themselves and continuing.
“Morocco is completely different from us because they have a long-term plan that has been implemented, allowing them to create a strong team, mostly made up of players playing in Europe, as well as a strong Olympic team.
“It is impossible for me to resign from coaching the national team, but we need to fix the current system to prevent these circumstances from happening again. I have faith in the players, who come with determination and a strong will to achieve success for Egypt.
“The players are eager to join the Egypt national team because it means a lot to them. Trezeguet, even though he just moved to Al Rayyan, came immediately, and Salah played a big match against Manchester United and then traveled right away.
“The shortest preparation period after a three-week break requires at least six weeks. This applies to Salah and the foreign-based players, as well as Cape Verde’s players, but most of our national team consists of local players who haven’t gone through this proper cycle.
“I didn’t ask for a month or a week; I just requested three days before the camp. I could have rested and stayed at home.
“We allow many postponements, and if the league refuses, it becomes ‘against the national interest,’ but no exception is given to prepare the Egypt team. If you want to stick to the international agenda, then stick to the league schedule without delays. One thing for another.
“They are spreading the idea that I want long camps for a month, while all I asked for was three days. They say I am trying to take us back to the days of El-Gohary. ‘God willing, I can return to El-Gohary’s era’ with his football thinking and achievements.”
On Mohamed Abdelmonem’s absence, he said: “We followed Abdelmonem’s situation from the beginning, and we contacted Nice, who had no objection to sending him to us. But the player was determined to stay with his club to fully regain his fitness there. His desire is what matters to me.
“Abdelmonem is a dedicated player, and although playing for the national team is an incredible honor, I trust him completely. I am not ignoring the issue, but I support him until he returns and gives us his all.”
Regarding the absence of Emam Ashour, he said: “Emam Ashour felt pain in his knee, and I can’t risk any player in such a situation. We gave him rest and sent him back to his club to recover. The players are valuable assets for all clubs, but in the national team, I have the option to choose from 100 million Egyptians, so the team will not rely on one player alone.”