⚽ Hossam Hassan addresses the Mohamed El Shenawy controversy
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has addressed the controversy surrounding Mohamed El Shenawy’s absence from the current national team squad, stressing that the decision was based entirely on technical considerations and was not connected to any personal dispute between the coach and the Al Ahly goalkeeper.
Egypt are preparing for several important fixtures during the current international period, starting with their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifier against Angola, followed by a match against South Sudan and a friendly against South Africa as part of the Pharaohs’ upcoming program.
🔥 Hossam Hassan: El Shenawy’s absence was a technical decision
During the press conference ahead of the Angola match, Hossam Hassan explained the reasoning behind Mohamed El Shenawy’s exclusion. He pointed out that the coaching staff had previously played a role in helping the goalkeeper regain his form with the national team, just as they had done with other players.
The Egypt coach emphasized that leaving a player out of the squad does not automatically mean there is a disagreement with the coaching staff. According to Hassan, squad selection is a normal part of a coach’s responsibilities and can change from one camp to another depending on technical requirements.
Hassan also stressed his respect for El Shenawy, describing him as an experienced player and one of the national team’s senior figures, while maintaining that his absence from the current camp was simply his technical choice.
📢 Hassan rejects claims of a dispute
The Egypt head coach also rejected the idea that every exclusion should be interpreted as evidence of a personal problem between the player and the manager.
Hassan recalled his own playing days under the late Mahmoud El Gohary, noting that players were sometimes left out without that decision being treated as evidence of a dispute between the coach and the squad.
He added that he is disappointed whenever an exclusion is immediately linked to a supposed problem between him and a player, stressing that the roles inside the national team should remain clear: the coach makes the technical decisions, while the player focuses on his responsibilities on the pitch.
⭐ Hossam Hassan: The selections are my responsibility
Hossam Hassan explained that the large number of players available to the national team makes it natural for different opinions to emerge over squad selection.
He said the coaching staff must choose a limited number of players from a much larger pool of candidates, meaning that it would be difficult for two people to always agree on exactly the same squad.
The Egypt coach therefore emphasized that differences in opinion are normal and that responsibility for the final selections ultimately belongs to him and his coaching staff.
⏱️ Limited preparation time ahead of Angola
Hassan also discussed the challenges facing Egypt during the current preparation period, pointing out that the national team had not held a camp for around 80 days.
The limited time available between gathering the players and the match means the coaching staff must work intensively in a very short period, according to Hassan. He stressed that he regularly calls for earlier camps because additional preparation time would help the team reach the required level of readiness and tactical cohesion.
The Angola match represents an important opening test for Egypt in the current period, with the Pharaohs aiming to make a strong start and collect valuable points in their campaign to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
