Hossam Hassan Blown Away By "Ferocious" AFCON Quality

As Egypt prepares for their semi-final clash on Wednesday, head coach Hossam Hassan lauded the exceptional caliber of football at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, describing the month-long competition as “ferocious.”

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Hassan’s perspective carries significant weight; the 59-year-old former striker is a legendary figure in the tournament’s history, having secured three titles as a player and competing in the final of his seven AFCON appearances at age 39.

Now making his managerial debut at the tournament, he has successfully guided the Pharaohs to the final four as they strive to end a title drought dating back to 2010.

“The standard of African football has increased markedly ⁠with the quality of players in each team being very impressive,” he ‌said on Tuesday.

“There have been so many teams here with world class players, not only the experienced players but also youngsters, who have match-winning ability and an incredible skill set.”

Despite being the most successful team in tournament history with seven titles, Egypt enter their semi-final match against Senegal in Tangiers as the less-favored side.

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“Every side has ‌its weaknesses, and we have studied Senegal in depth as we have planned for this game. We are sure they will be analysing our approach, too, so this could be decided ⁠on the small details,” Hassan said.

Following Egypt’s narrow extra-time victory over Benin and a defensive performance against Ivory Coast where they were largely dominated, Hassan faced significant scrutiny.

When questioned about these critiques during Tuesday’s pre-match press conference, Hassan dismissed them bluntly, telling reporters he wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

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