Emam Ashour showed no negative reaction to Hossam Hassan’s decision to substitute him after just 30 minutes of the Egypt-Zimbabwe match in the Africa Cup of Nations.
After the match, Hassan stated that substituting Ashour was a “technical decision” and that he doesn’t fear any player, regardless of their name, when making such decisions. He also emphasized that the Al-Ahly star would play a significant role for the Pharaohs in the upcoming matches of the tournament.
It was expected that Ashour would be displeased or show some kind of anger, but surprisingly, according to Egyptian media, he remained calm and very understanding of Hassan’s decision after the match.
Reports indicate that the Egyptian coach spoke frankly with Ashour, justifying the substitution by explaining that he had to make the change to quickly adjust his attacking plan. His reasoning was that Ashour had recently returned from a long injury layoff, and therefore his fitness level wouldn’t allow him to continue playing. Thus, the decision was made to substitute him.
For his part, the player confirmed his complete understanding of the coach’s decision and informed him that he would be ready to support the Egyptian national team in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations matches without any problems whatsoever.
The Egyptian national team will face South Africa next Friday, and it is highly likely that Hossam Hassan will opt to start Ahmed Sayed Zizo instead of Emam Ashour, bringing him on in the second half as an attacking substitute if needed.
