Ibrahim Hassan has defended the Egyptian national team’s selection decisions following criticism over several player omissions ahead of the 2026 World Cup, insisting that neither he nor the coaching staff had acted unfairly towards anyone.
Speaking after Egypt’s 1-0 friendly victory against Russia at Cairo Stadium, Ibrahim Hassan thanked supporters for their strong attendance and support, describing the fans as a major source of motivation for the squad before its departure to the United States for the World Cup.
The Pharaohs secured what Hassan described as a morale-boosting win thanks to a goal scored by Mostafa Zico, the Pyramids FC player whose strike ensured Egypt finished as champions of the New Capital friendly tournament.
After the match, Egyptian players celebrated with the trophy in front of supporters inside the stadium, with the coaching staff using the occasion as a final farewell before the team travels abroad for the tournament.
Ibrahim Hassan said the technical staff, led by his brother Hossam Hassan, remained determined to achieve a historic World Cup campaign for Egypt.
He praised the quality of the Russian side and stressed that the match represented an important test ahead of the competition.
However, much of the discussion surrounding the national team in recent days has focused on the exclusion of several players from the World Cup squad, leading Hassan to issue a lengthy defence of the coaching staff’s decisions.
“Throughout our careers – as players or coaches – we have never thought of being unfair to anyone. We do what is best for our country, for the Egyptian national team. We represent the name of Egypt and are responsible for this name, so how can we be unfair or show favoritism? We swear to God that we do nothing in our work except what pleases God. Many times we have forgiven some things.”
The national team manager acknowledged that injuries had prevented some players from joining the squad, specifically mentioning Islam Issa and Mohamed Hamdi.
“Islam Issa wished to be with us, and we were happy with him in the past period, but the injury prevented him from doing so, as well as left-back Mohamed Hamdi. We have some ideas and new players who will join the Egyptian national team if we are able to continue in the coming period after the World Cup. You will see some new faces, and some young players, so that there will be renewal and replacement and development.”
Hassan also addressed reactions from excluded players and supporters on social media, insisting that the coaching staff held no personal issues with anyone left out of the squad.
“We don’t focus on the excluded players and what they write on their accounts. As I said, we work conscientiously. We love all the players, whether they are present or excluded. How could I be angry with a player who is like my son! God will hold us accountable in this world and the hereafter if we wrong anyone. We are not angels. We make bad and wrong decisions, but in the end, we act with good intentions.”
He then used Phil Foden as an example while explaining that exclusion from national teams is common even among elite football nations.
“I need 26 players out of 40, so it’s natural that the rest will be excluded. It’s impossible to choose all of Egypt’s players. We see all the European and international teams whose players are crying because they aren’t there. Phil Foden is a prime example of that. I swear to God again, we don’t have any grudge against any player. These are technical choices. We need the most suitable players for the next stage.”
Concluding his remarks, Hassan promised supporters that the team would give everything possible during the World Cup in pursuit of a historic achievement for Egyptian football.
“Our goal now is to make the beautiful Egyptian people happy, and we promise the public that we will not fall short and will do our utmost, because Egypt deserves a lot, and success is due to God Almighty, and we seek to write a new history with the Egyptian national team, by writing achievements that have never been achieved before in the ancient history of Egyptian football.”
