Hossam Hassan, head coach of the Egypt national team, has addressed several issues that created debate around the Pharaohs in recent days, including Mohamed Salah’s absence from the South Sudan match and his previous comments about goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the South Sudan game, Hassan confirmed that Egypt are fully prepared for the match. He also stressed that every African fixture must now be treated seriously because the level of teams across the continent has become much closer.

The Egypt coach explained that his team respects every opponent and understands the difficulties of playing away from home, including different weather conditions, pitch surfaces and other challenges that teams may face in African football.

Salah Sits Out

Hassan explained that Mohamed Salah will be rested against South Sudan following an earlier discussion between the player and the coaching staff before the Angola match.

The main concern was the artificial surface of the stadium in Juba, with the coaching staff deciding that protecting Salah from unnecessary physical risk was the better option.

Hassan stressed that player safety is always a priority, especially because Salah remains one of Egypt’s most important players ahead of the team’s upcoming matches.

He also made it clear that Salah’s absence from the South Sudan game does not change his importance to the national team, describing the captain as a major and influential part of Egypt’s plans.

At the same time, Hassan expressed full confidence in the other players in the squad and said they are capable of taking responsibility when important players are unavailable.

The Egypt coach also praised Mohamed Hany and highlighted young forward Hamza Abdel Karim, describing him as a promising talent who could become an important player for Egyptian football in the future.

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El Shenawy Clarification

Hassan also addressed the controversy surrounding his previous comments about Mohamed El Shenawy, saying his words had been understood differently from what he intended.

He explained that his comments at the time were related to El Shenawy’s shoulder injury and were never meant to reduce the goalkeeper’s value or question what he has given to the national team.

Hassan praised El Shenawy’s commitment to Egypt and confirmed that he has full confidence in him as well as the other goalkeepers available to the national team.

The Egypt coach added that his relationship with the players is based on respect and trust, whether they are currently part of the squad or absent for different reasons.

Egypt will face South Sudan in Juba on Tuesday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Pharaohs opened their campaign with a draw against Angola and therefore enter the second match with one point. Malawi lead the group with three points, Angola also have one point, while South Sudan are yet to collect a point.

Hassan said Egypt are ready to deal with the conditions in Juba, including the pitch and weather, while stressing that there are no longer easy matches in African football because of the progress made by national teams across the continent.

Egypt will now be looking for their first victory of the qualifying campaign and all three points against South Sudan to strengthen their position in the group and continue their push towards qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.