Published on 6/21/2026
Hossam Hassan, coach of the Egyptian national team, denied the existence of any crisis within the “Pharaohs” camp, stressing that his team’s focus is on achieving the first victory in the country’s history in the World Cup and qualifying for the round of 32, on the eve of the important confrontation against New Zealand on Sunday in the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Hassan said in the press conference held in Vancouver on Saturday: “All players have the same importance within the national team,” praising the role of leader Mohamed Salah on and off the field.
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He added: “Salah helps his colleagues to commit, and everything that is said about the existence of a crisis between us are just rumours,” stressing his full confidence in the Liverpool star and that the criterion for participation depends on technical performance only.
He also praised Salah’s performance during the 1-1 draw against Belgium in the opening round, noting that he employed him in a position “that I chose myself” to serve the team, noting that he replaced him in the 76th minute.
Regarding the preparations to face New Zealand, Hassan explained that the technical staff was keen to provide the best comfort conditions for the players, noting that the delegation arrived early in Canada to give the players enough time to recover and prepare.
He said: “We respect all the teams we face, but we believe in ourselves and our ability to achieve something special in the World Cup.”
He noted: “We have a lot of respect for the New Zealand team and we know the potential of its professional players in Europe and their playing style that is somewhat similar to the European teams. It will be a strong and difficult match.”
He explained: “At the beginning of my mission with the national team, we faced New Zealand, and that match gave the technical staff a clear perception of the players’ capabilities. We studied the opponent well by following a large number of their official and friendly matches.”
“They have friendliness…and we have goodness.”
The Egyptian national team’s all-time top scorer added, “The New Zealand national team is characterized by a style close to European football in terms of physical strength and tactical discipline. They have Chris Wood, who has all the respect, but we have Mohamed Salah.”
Hassan believed that the draw against Belgium “was not a surprise to the technical staff,” explaining that the team focuses on studying each competitor individually and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, away from being preoccupied with other calculations in the tournament.
He added that the team aspires to make the Egyptian fans happy and prove its ability to compete at the highest levels, stressing that African football demonstrated in the tournament its ability to compete with the top international teams.
Hassan stressed that the main goal is to reach the round of 32, expressing his confidence in the Egyptian national team’s ability to achieve this historic achievement, in addition to recording its first victory in the World Cup finals.
The “Pharaohs” coach pointed out that he has worked since assuming responsibility to renew the blood of the team and develop its level, and the most notable harvest was reaching the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations, admitting that the task was not easy due to the strong competition between the players.
