AFCON 2025: Hossam Hassan Sparks Backlash After Claiming Rivals Are ‘Jealous’ Of Egypt’s Success

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has ignited a storm of controversy after suggesting that rival African teams are jealous of the Pharaohs’ record seven Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles.

Hassan made the remarks ahead of Egypt’s third-place play-off clash against Nigeria this weekend, following the team’s dramatic semi-final exit at the 2025 AFCON.

Egypt failed to reach the finals of the tournament after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Senegal, decided by a late strike from Sadio Mane, who powered home a long-range effort to seal victory for the defending champions.

Speaking after the match, an angry Hassan criticised both the competition organisers and the treatment of his team, insisting Egypt were denied fairness during the latter stages of the tournament.

“Egypt does not need excuses and apologies,” Hassan said. “We just needed fairness like [Senegal]. We played the day after the Senegal match, who are playing in the semi on the same field, and I’m surprised by that.

“Egypt is great, the mother of the Arabs and the mother of Africa in terms of history and titles, and everyone is jealous.”

Hassan also questioned the scheduling of fixtures, claiming Senegal were given an advantage by having an extra day of rest after the quarter-finals. He pointed out that Egyptians were forced to travel from Agadir to Tangier, while Senegalese remained in the same city.

“There were some refereeing mistakes in the match, and I have the right to demand them,” he added. “I hope FIFA intervenes in major tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations.”

The comments, however, did not go down well back home. Several Egyptian analysts, media figures and fans accused the coach of arrogance and of damaging the image of the national team.

Veteran analyst Murad Ali was particularly critical, describing Hassan’s remarks as part of a wider culture of deflecting blame.

“Hossam Hassan’s statements after the Egyptian team lost to Senegal are not just an excuse for the match result but a method and management style that has become dominant in wide sectors in Egypt,” Murad said.

“Captain Hossam Hassan believes his team was wronged and talks about a conspiracy against him, which is the same rhetoric that officials have become accustomed to repeating on every occasion to justify their failures. The clear truth is that the Egyptian team managed to shoot only once at Senegal’s goal throughout a hundred minutes; how can they demand to win?”

Prominent broadcaster Moataz Al-Shami went further, openly calling for Hassan’s removal, warning that such statements harm both the national team and Egypt’s reputation on the continental stage.

Journalist Ahmed Afifi also dismissed the coach’s comments as “arrogant and hollow”, mocking the suggestion that other nations are threatened by Egypt’s historic AFCON success.

Meanwhile, Wail Al-Imam shared a clip of Hassan’s post-match comments on social media, expressing his dissatisfaction, while a fan using the name Tamer Al-Zamalekawi wrote, “This is racist talk. I love my country but do not belittle any other country.”

Egypt will now turn their attention to the third-place play-off against Nigeria which is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 17.