Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has warned his players against complacency as the Pharaohs prepare to begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Angola.
Egypt will host Angola in their opening Group L fixture on Friday, September 25, with Hassan calling on his squad to approach the match with full concentration despite their recent successes.
“I trust the national team players after God, and tomorrow is a new beginning for us and a new goal for the national team, which is to qualify for the African Cup of Nations,” Hassan said.
The former Egypt striker acknowledged that success can sometimes lead to a drop in concentration and said he had already addressed the issue with his players.
“After any period of great success, it is possible that there will be a lapse in concentration, but I have warned the players about that, and God willing, they will be ready for tomorrow’s match,” he added.
Hassan also admitted that Egypt have had to deal with a number of challenges during their preparations, including injuries and limited training time.
The coach said the squad only completed its first full training session after all the players had arrived at camp.
“There are injuries and difficulties, but we are trying to work in these circumstances. Imagine, the first full training session was the day before yesterday with the arrival of all the players,” he explained.
Another concern for Hassan is the growing number of African national teams featuring players based in overseas leagues.
“All African teams have at least 16 professional players, while all my national team players are from the local league,” he said.
Hassan pointed to Egypt’s recent World Cup campaign as another example of the challenge, noting that Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush were among the exceptions but were not in ideal circumstances.
Despite those difficulties, Egypt will begin the qualifying campaign looking to take an early step towards securing a place at the 2027 AFCON finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Hassan’s immediate task will be ensuring his players maintain their concentration and overcome their limited preparation when they face Angola in Cairo.
