Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian national team coach, sent strong messages of support to the Pharaohs' captain, Mohamed Salah, during the press conference held on the eve of Egypt's opening match against Zimbabwe in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations currently being held in Morocco. Hassan emphasized that Salah is in very high spirits, stressing that he "will be one of the best players in the tournament," and describing him as an "Egyptian icon" who will always remain among the world's elite players.
Overcoming Liverpool's crisis and focusing on the continental title
Hossam Hassan addressed the recent controversy surrounding Mohamed Salah's relationship with his Liverpool coach, Arne Slott, with candor, explaining that communication channels between him and the national team captain have always been open to contain any tension. Hassan said, "What happened isn't a major crisis. Any footballer is susceptible to differing opinions with their coaching staff, but when Salah joined the camp, I sensed his overwhelming ambition to achieve something for his country." He added that a dip in form with clubs can sometimes be a motivating factor to return stronger with the national team, noting that the coaching staff and players will work as a unified team to help Salah lift the trophy.
The dream of an eighth star and the finals complex
This edition of the tournament is of exceptional importance to Egyptian football, as the Pharaohs seek to enhance their record and win the eighth title in their history, which has been absent from the Egyptian Football Association's trophy cabinet since the historic treble of "The Teacher" Hassan Shehata, which concluded in 2010. For Mohamed Salah (33 years old), the tournament represents a golden and perhaps final opportunity to break the "finals curse" that has haunted him, after he came close to continental glory in the 2017 edition in Gabon and the 2021 edition in Cameroon, but he only managed the silver medal on both occasions.
A terrifying attacking combination led by Marmoush and Salah
Hossam Hassan, Egypt's all-time leading scorer and a three-time African champion (1986, 1998, 2006), expressed his great optimism about the current squad. He said, "I'm fortunate to have such a fantastic generation, including Salah and Trezeguet, in addition to the impressive performances of Omar Marmoush in the Bundesliga and Mostafa Mohamed." Analysts believe that the presence of these players gives Egypt a significant attacking advantage in Group B, which, besides Zimbabwe, includes strong teams like South Africa and Angola.
The Pharaohs' journey begins tomorrow amidst high hopes from Egyptian and Arab fans that Morocco will be a "good omen" for the Egyptian national team to regain its continental dominance, benefiting from Hossam Hassan's great experience in the African jungles and Salah's desire to write his name in gold in the records of continental champions.
