Former Egypt international Ahmed Hossam “Mido” has criticised national team coach Hossam Hassan over his comments about Mohamed El Shenawy’s omission from the Pharaohs’ squad.
Hassan said El Shenawy was left out of the squad for the opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and South Sudan for technical reasons, while also referring to a previous period when the goalkeeper had struggled for regular football at Al Ahly before returning to form with Egypt.
Mido reacted to the comments on his official X account, accusing Hassan of displaying what he described as a “narcissistic” attitude.
“Captain Hossam Hassan’s statements feel very narcissistic,” Mido wrote.
The former Zamalek player argued that Hassan appeared to portray himself as superior to club coaches, pointing to his previous decisions involving Mohamed Salah and El Shenawy.
“He has a feeling that he is better than all the club coaches,” Mido wrote. “He is the one who redeployed Mohamed Salah in the heart of the field, which is something Slot failed to do. He revived El Shenawy after he was finished.”
Mido also criticised Hassan over his comments concerning Al Ahly’s medical staff and midfielder Imam Ashour, as well as what he described as the coach’s attitude towards players from the Egyptian Premier League.
He argued that domestic-league players remain an important part of Egypt’s national-team success and warned that Hassan’s public statements could create unnecessary division around the Pharaohs.
“We have entered a dangerous phase, which is that the national team coach is creating a great deal of discord and confusion around the team,” Mido wrote.
He called on football officials to address the situation, arguing that the controversy could affect the national team’s development.
Mido’s criticism comes as the debate over El Shenawy’s omission has intensified ahead of Egypt’s opening qualifier against Angola.
Hassan has maintained that the decision was technical, while insisting that El Shenawy remains a respected national-team leader.
The controversy has also drawn a response from EFA president Hani Abu Rida, who praised El Shenawy’s contribution to Egyptian football and described his history and status as a player and captain as highly respected by the federation.
El Shenawy, who captains Egypt and Al Ahly, was therefore left out of the squad as Hassan prepares the Pharaohs for their opening two AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
Egypt host Angola on Friday before travelling to Juba to face South Sudan on September 29.
