Egypt were beaten 1-0 by Senegal in the African Cup of Nations semi-final, with Hossam Hassan claiming his side were ‘tortured’ by jealous rivals in the competition
Hossam Hassan was furious(Image: )
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan has launched an extraordinary attack on the African Cup of Nations, claiming his team was treated unjustly following their semi-final exit. Mohamed Salah and his team-mates saw their tournament end in a 1-0 defeat to Senegal, with Liverpool legend Sadio Mane scoring the decisive goal against his former Anfield colleague.
In a bitter post-match tirade, Hassan accused the competition of conspiring against his side through unfair scheduling, suggesting that jealousy over Egypt’s historical dominance was at play.
The outspoken coach was spotted on the pitch holding up seven fingers, representing his country’s record number of AFCON titles. After the final whistle, Egyptian players confronted match officials in the centre circle, with some even alleging financial corruption.
READ MORE: Sadio Mane goal dumps Mohamed Salah OUT of AFCON – but when will Liverpool star return?READ MORE: Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane incident sparks heated scenes and suspension from AFCON final
Egypt’s journey to the semi-final saw them travel 490 miles from Agadir, where they had beaten the Ivory Coast just four days earlier, to Tangier for the Senegal clash. Meanwhile, their opponents enjoyed an additional day’s rest despite playing Mali at the same venue that hosted the semi-final.
Hassan made clear his belief that these circumstances were no coincidence, suggesting his team had been deliberately disadvantaged.
“Egypt does not need excuses and apologies,” he declared, per SportyFM. “Egypt is great and no one will dare to win seven titles like us.
“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.
“By what FIFA law is what happened to the Egypt team done?” he continued. “When a team reaches the semis, do you honour it or torture it?”.
“It is expected that teams will be given a break fairly among them to see a great semi, but what happened is that the three teams got more rest.
“I told the players to ignore (the chants from the stands) and focus. I don’t want to talk about it. We are Arabs of Africa, and Egypt is great, the mother of the Arabs and the mother of Africa in terms of history and titles, and everyone is jealous!”
Despite boasting talent including Salah and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, Egypt haven’t lifted the AFCON trophy since 2010, having also claimed the previous two tournaments.
The Pharaohs were beaten finalists in 2022, losing to Senegal on penalties, with Mane converting the decisive spot-kick whilst Salah wasn’t needed as the fifth taker.
Egypt must now compete in Saturday’s third-place play-off with Nigeria, whilst Senegal will face tournament hosts Morocco in Sunday’s final.
