Hossam Hassan: "Some Don't Want Us in Final... Egypt Stronger Than the Whole World"

Hossam Hassan, coach of the Egyptian national team, made "strange" and "incomprehensible" statements after their exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, where their journey ended in the semi-finals following yesterday's 1-0 defeat to Senegal.

Hassan attempted to justify the elimination, stating in the post-match press conference: "When a national team reaches the semi-finals, you should reward it and give it rest. Historically, Egypt is the mother of Arabs and the mother of Africa; no one possesses the history we do. When it comes to championships, no one is like us. In terms of strength, Egypt is stronger than the entire world; everyone is jealous of Egypt. We have won the Africa Cup of Nations 7 times, which is why there is jealousy."

He added: "Have you ever seen a player receive a yellow card in the first two minutes of a semi-final? Justice was absent. There were people who did not want us to reach the final, and these people are well-known. We are the Lions of Africa and the Lions of the Arabs in all fields. I am proud of my country, and proud of the seven stars we possess."

It is worth noting that the Egyptian national team managed only one shot on target against Senegal, compared to four shots on target from the "Lions of Teranga."