Egyptian broadcaster Ibrahim Fayek has reported that the decision to sack Hossam Hassan as Egypt head coach has already been made and will be announced on Saturday evening, two days before the Pharaohs are due to assemble for their qualifiers against Malawi.
Fayek’s post came hours after the Egyptian Football Association called for calm and urged supporters to get behind the national team, describing its stability as a top priority while leaving the head coach’s future unaddressed.
“It’s over… The decision has already been made and will be announced tonight… Hossam Hassan will no longer be Egypt’s head coach,” Fayek wrote on X.
Al Masry Al Youm had earlier reported that the federation’s board, led by Hany Abo Rida, was moving towards dismissing both Hossam and his twin brother Ibrahim, the national team director, while Fayek’s post addressed only the head coach’s future and the timing of the announcement.
Ibrahim Hassan had dismissed reports of his brother’s sacking on Friday, telling Masrawy “There’s nothing to it,” before posting a verse on Facebook following the federation’s statement: “They plot, and Allah plots, and Allah is the best of planners.”
Pressure on Hassan had mounted since the previous international camp, when Mohamed Salah left the squad before the match against South Sudan, and Abo Rida met the Egypt captain in Türkiye last week amid the tension that followed.
The speculation over Hassan’s future coincided with an escalating family dispute with his ex-wife that spilled into the media and led his two lawyers to file a complaint with the public prosecutor, while on 4 November Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation barred the coach from appearing in outlets covered by the country’s press and media regulation law, without specifying how long the ban would last.
The decision reported by Fayek comes around two months after Hassan’s contract was extended until 2030, following a 2026 World Cup campaign in which he led Egypt to the round of 16 before a 3–2 defeat to Argentina.
Egypt’s camp begins on 9 November ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi on 13 and 17 November, with both Hassan brothers already due to be absent from the technical area as they serve FIFA suspensions imposed after the Argentina match.
