Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has backed Mohamed Salah to surpass his national team scoring record, insisting that any milestone achieved by the Liverpool star would only benefit Egyptian football.
Speaking to FIFA’s official website, the Pharaohs boss praised Salah’s achievements and described the captain as one of the finest players in world football.
“Salah has broken many records worldwide and he is one of the best football players in the world,” Hassan said.
The former Egypt striker, who remains one of the country’s greatest-ever goalscorers, revealed that he would be delighted if Salah overtook his record.
“I hope that Mohamed Salah scores more goals than me because what matters most in the end is the success of the national team and achieving victories,” Hassan explained.
“If he scores these goals, it will be good for Egypt and good for me as a coach because it will reflect on the national team’s results. This is football; generations complement each other, and each generation adds to what the previous generation has provided.”
Hassan also reflected on Egypt’s ambitions on the global stage and his desire to lead the Pharaohs to a successful World Cup campaign.
The 58-year-old represented Egypt at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and hopes to return to the tournament as a coach, guiding the country to greater success.
“Reaching the World Cup as a player and as a coach is, of course, a big thing and a great achievement,” he said.
“Egypt must take its rightful place in world football. In 1990, I think we did something good, but unfortunately we didn’t complete the journey. We played very well and were close to qualifying, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
“That’s why I hope, God willing, that I can complete the mission this time and that we can reach a good position with the national team at the World Cup.”
Hassan, who took charge of Egypt in 2024, also spoke about his lifelong passion for the game and revealed that coaching the national team had always been one of his biggest ambitions.
“For me, football has been my life since I was a child until this moment,” he said.
“I am proud that I was one of the leaders of the Egyptian national team for a long time. Even before I retired from playing, I imagined myself as the coach of the Egyptian national team. This was my dream and ambition, so I never thought about anything other than football.”
With Egypt targeting a return to the World Cup and Salah continuing to lead the team, Hassan believes the current generation has the quality to build on the achievements of those who came before and restore the Pharaohs’ place among football’s elite nations.
