Egypt's national team coach Hossam Hassan expressed his thanks and appreciation to his players for their heroic performance and great effort during the match against Iran in the final round of Group G of the 2026 World Cup.
Egypt had officially secured qualification for the round of 32 of the World Cup before the start of their match against Iran, which took place on Saturday morning and ended in a 1-1 draw, thanks to the results of Group H, from which Spain and Cape Verde had officially qualified.
Hossam Hassan confirmed in the press conference that followed the match that the Egyptian national team was very close to winning through the opportunities that were available to it before the series of impactful injuries, noting that all the players “performed their duties perfectly on the field, and that the team has every right and ambition to continue the journey and reach the advanced stages of the tournament.”
In response to questions about the decline in offensive performance and tactical changes after Mohamed Salah left in the 60th minute, Hassan explained that the team was the best and closest to winning with Mohamed Salah present, and after his injury and exit, complete control over the course of the match continued until Ahmed Fatouh was injured.
The Pharaohs' coach pointed out that any other team that had secured qualification would have retreated to defend and played in a conservative style, but the Egyptian team continued to attack and press until the last moments despite the numerical disadvantage due to Fatouh's injury.
Hassan described the Iranian team's style as relying mainly on long balls and physical strength, but at the same time he stressed that the Egyptian team gave everything in football and did not lose the desire to win.
Regarding the upcoming match against Australia in the round of 32 and dealing with the numerous absences and successive injuries that have hit the team, such as Ahmed Fatouh, Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Abdel Moneim, in addition to the possible suspension of player Mohannad Lasheen due to the second yellow card, Hossam Hassan stressed the team’s complete readiness for all circumstances, pointing out that football is full of injuries and suspensions.
