Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan: "Thanks to the Fans Who Attended, We Are Ready for Strong Matches"

Hossam Hassan, the national coach of the Egyptian team, expressed his confidence in his players' ability to come back and win against Zimbabwe in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Egyptian team secured a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe in their first Group B match of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco.

During the post-match press conference, Hossam Hassan stated: "I was confident in our ability to come back and win. At halftime, I didn't talk to the players about being behind; instead, I focused on the necessity of correcting the situation, exploiting the differences, and insisting on victory."

The technical director added: "We could have scored two goals in the first five minutes, and the game would have changed completely. I felt that the missed opportunities would come back to haunt us with a goal, and that's exactly what happened because this is football."

Hossam Hassan then turned his attention to the upcoming fixture, emphasizing: "The next match will be against a very strong team, South Africa, and we are ready for the highest level and the toughest matches."

He also expressed his gratitude to the fans, continuing: "I thank the fans who attended the match. I was concerned about the fans in Egypt, and I prayed that we would win to make them all happy."

He also addressed the situation of player Mohamed Salah, affirming: "When Mohamed Salah is going through difficult circumstances at his club, or experiencing a period of bad luck, when he returns to the national team, we help him and try to ensure he regains his technical and moral form. I was confident that he would make a difference for Egypt; he is morally important to us, and his goal is a message that he is capable of helping achieve victory, whether for his club or his national team."