Hossam Hassan: Egypt “lost 90% of its strength” in Uzbekistan defeat

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan admitted that his team entered the match against Uzbekistan missing “90 percent of its strength,” following the Pharaohs’ 2–0 defeat on Friday in the Al Ain International Friendly Tournament held in the UAE.

The tournament, hosted in Al Ain from 13 to 18 November, features four teams: Egypt, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Iran.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Hassan said: “I hoped we could win today, but it is normal to lose. What matters is that we learn from these games.”

He praised the quality of the Uzbek side, stating: “Uzbekistan play strong, high-level football. They are one of Asia’s top teams and have already secured early qualification for the 2026 World Cup.”

Ten Key Absences

Hassan highlighted the significant impact of missing several influential players, saying:
“We suffered from the absence of ten important players: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Hamdi Fathi, Emam Ashour, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Omar Marmoush, Ibrahim Adel, and Mohamed Abdelmonem. Their absence cost us 90 percent of our strength.”

He indicated that he used the match to add new faces:
“I wanted to give chances to new players like Marwan Osman, Mahmoud Saber, and Zallaka so they could experience this level.”

Improvement After the Break

The Egypt coach expressed satisfaction with his team’s reaction in the second half.
“I was happy with the performance after halftime. I told the players they must show strong displays against all opponents if we want to achieve victories in the Africa Cup of Nations.”

He also mentioned individual debut and returns:
“Marwan Osman’s debut is promising, and he will have an important role in the future. I am pleased as well with the return of Ahmed Fattouh and Taher Mohamed to the squad.”

Hassan concluded by acknowledging the defensive mistakes that proved costly:
“The first half included strange individual errors and unusual reactions from our defenders, which led to both Uzbekistan goals. But we were the better side in the second half.”

Next Fixtures

Uzbekistan will face Iran in the final of the Al Ain International Cup, while Egypt will meet Cape Verde in the third-place playoff.

Egypt’s match against Cape Verde will take place on 17 November at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, kicking off at 16:00 GMT.

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