Egyptian coaches: Hossam Hassan succeeded tactically

The strong start of the Egyptian national team in the 2026 World Cup sparked a wide wave of relief and optimism within Egyptian sports circles, after the “Pharaohs” imposed a draw on the Belgium national team, which is ranked among the strongest teams in the world, in a match that many considered an indication of the team’s ability to compete strongly in the tournament and reach the knockout rounds.

An own goal prevented Egypt from achieving its first victory in the history of its participation in the FIFA World Cup, after it tied 1-1 with Belgium at the beginning of their campaign in Group G, in a match during which Mohamed Salah celebrated his 34th birthday, and Hamza Abdel Karim became the youngest player to represent Egypt and the Arabs in the finals in his fourth participation.

The national coach, Hossam Hassan, received great praise from former Egyptian football stars and coaches, who praised the tactical discipline that the team showed against Belgium, stressing in media statements after the match that the technical staff succeeded in reading the match in a distinctive way and reducing the danger of the opponent’s most prominent keys to play.

The most decorated coach in the history of Egyptian football, Hassan Shehata, said that the team played one of its best matches in recent years, and was the closest to achieving victory and getting the three points had it not been for some individual decisions in the attacking third during periods of the match.

He added: “The performance shown by the team reflects the development that the team witnessed under the leadership of Hossam Hassan,” stressing that he was one of the most prominent supporters of the latter assuming the task of coaching the team when he was head of the technical committee of the Football Association, because of his belief in his technical and personal abilities to lead the “Pharaohs” in major achievements.

For his part, former coach of the Egyptian national team, Hossam El-Badry, attributed the distinguished level in which the team appeared to the success of the technical staff in recruiting players appropriately, noting that Hossam Hassan won the bet through the roles he gave to a number of elements, led by Emam Ashour and Mustafa Zico.

He explained: “The duo played balanced defensive and offensive roles, which contributed to reducing the danger of the Belgian wings, Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard, and the Belgian national team lost a large part of its offensive effectiveness on the flanks.”

In turn, the former coach of the Egyptian national team, Diaa Al-Sayed, considered that the “Pharaohs” presented an ideal first half and were the better side during long periods of the match, noting that some substitutions in the second half affected the team’s offensive performance. He added that Imam Ashour and Mohamed Salah were among the most prominent players of the national team during the match, and they were a constant source of trouble for the Belgian defense and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, before they left in the second half.

On the other hand, former Zamalek and Egyptian national team defender Mahmoud Fathallah said that Hossam Hassan succeeded in surprising everyone with the lineup and the tactical method he relied on, explaining that playing in a 4-4-2 style against a team the size of Belgium was a calculated risk that proved successful on the field.

He said: “The players dealt with the course of the match with great confidence and succeeded in imposing their personality during many periods of the match, despite the large differences in classification and international experience between the two teams.”

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Al-Dirandali: The Egyptian national team’s performance is not surprising

Egypt national team coach Hossam Hassan. AFP

Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association and head of the team’s delegation to the World Cup, Khaled Al-Dirandali, confirmed that the team’s performance was not a surprise to officials in the federation, noting that the preparation program that preceded the tournament contributed greatly to preparing the players to face the major teams.

He added: “Playing friendly matches against teams the size of Spain, Brazil, Russia and Saudi Arabia gave the players the confidence necessary to deal with the World Cup atmosphere without fear, and helped them perform at a distinguished level against Belgium.”

Al-Dirandali explained that the result of the match raised the ceiling of ambitions within the team’s delegation, stressing that there is a state of optimism in the ability of the “Pharaohs” to continue the positive results and qualify for the second round, considering that the performance presented by the team in the first round confirms that it possesses the necessary capabilities to compete for the top spot in the group.