Egypt’s national team coach, Hossam Hassan, refused to downplay his team’s chances against Spain, asserting that the Pharaohs fear no one and will play Tuesday’s friendly match with the sole aim of securing a victory.
Egypt recently defeated Saudi Arabia 4-0 in a friendly in Jeddah, and the coach is hoping for another win, which would be the first in the history of the Nile Valley against a star-studded Spanish team, including Lamine Yamal.
Hossam Hassan: I’m Not Afraid of Spain
At the pre-match press conference, Hassan said, “We are delighted to be in one of the most important footballing nations, a country we love. We are facing a great team like Spain, and I hope the Egyptian national team will benefit from this experience.”
He added, “We are playing against Spain to get used to the atmosphere of major matches like the World Cup.”
He added, “My ambition is high. The Egyptian national team is a great team and the most decorated in the Africa Cup of Nations. We have world-renowned players like Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed, and Mohamed Abdelmonem. We also recently added Haitham Hassan, a player from the Spanish league, and we want to play football worthy of these stars.”
He continued, “I know that facing a team considered a World Cup favorite is a big risk, but it’s a positive one. Since I was a player, I’ve known that the Egyptian national team fears no one.”
He concluded, “We could have declined to play Spain because both matches are away from home. But I was looking to maximize the benefit. We have confidence in ourselves, and the Egyptian national team is a great team.”
De la Fuente: Facing Egypt is a real test for Spain
On the other hand, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that facing Egypt is a real test of La Roja’s capabilities and that his country will strive for victory.
The Spanish coach said, “I’m not thinking about the World Cup squad right now. The Egypt match will help us draw some conclusions, but there’s still a long time, and some changes might happen.”
He added, “We’ll see how the match unfolds. The players will know first; this isn’t just any friendly. We need to field a highly competitive team.”
Responding to the pressing question of who will guard Spain’s goal, he continued, “Those who start will be in top form, and we’ll decide on the goalkeeper position later.”
He concluded, “Our goal is to build the team. I want every player to contribute, both collectively and individually. A bad day can knock you out, so we need to evaluate the players thoroughly.”
Egypt vs. Spain Friendly Match Without VAR
Mostafa Abu Zahra, a member of the Egyptian Football Association’s board of directors and head of the Egyptian national team’s delegation in Spain, confirmed that the Pharaohs’ match against Spain will be played without the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
Abu Zahra explained that it’s standard practice in Europe for friendly matches not to use VAR. Both teams also agreed to allow eight substitutions each.
The Egyptian national team secured a resounding 4-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in their first friendly match, played last Friday at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
Egypt without Salah, and Spain without several key players
It’s worth noting that the Egyptian national team will face Spain without their star player, Mohamed Salah, who is suffering from a muscle injury sustained while playing for Liverpool against Brighton in the English Premier League two weeks ago.
In Salah’s place, Haitham Hassan is expected to play on the right wing. The Tunisian-French-Egyptian player has decided to represent the Pharaohs and made a strong appearance as a substitute in the Saudi Arabia match. He also has a good understanding of Spanish football, currently playing for Real Oviedo and previously with Villarreal.
On the other hand, the Spanish national team has lost several players to injury, most recently Martin Zubimendi. Lamine Yamal is also expected to be rested for an extended period in the Egypt match after Barcelona requested he be protected from fatigue and rested based on his performance in the previous match against Serbia.
