Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian national team coach, continued to stir controversy after facing a barrage of criticism from Moroccan journalists during the press conference for Saturday’s match against Nigeria.
The Egyptian coach had complained about the accommodation conditions in Tangier, adding that his team hadn’t received enough rest, which he claimed contributed to Senegal’s victory in the semi-final.
One journalist posed an embarrassing question to Hassan, asking, “Are you blaming your failure on things unrelated to football, like the hotel in Tangier, and were you technically weak in reaching the final?”
The coach responded, “That’s a disrespectful question, and I won’t answer you. You lack journalistic etiquette.”
Another question from a Moroccan journalist concerned whether Egypt’s delayed move from Agadir to Tangier caused fatigue, rather than the hotel as Hossam Hassan claimed. The coach responded, “We are Egypt, playing away from home, and we reached the semi-finals. Morocco, on the other hand, played at home in front of 100,000 fans and needed penalties to beat Nigeria.”
He continued, “We suffered from physical exhaustion, lacked fan support, and lost to a goal due to a mistake.”
Hossam Hassan expressed his satisfaction with the Pharaohs’ performance in the Africa Cup of Nations, saying, “I am satisfied with the team’s performance and our overall performance in the tournament. The number of goals we scored and conceded shows that we played well, although we were affected by injuries.”
He concluded, “Our results are good considering the market value of our players. Our players worked hard, which helped us reach the semi-finals, and of course, we hoped to compete for the championship.”
