“We are the boogeymen of Africa” – Egypt coach proud after AFCON semi-final defeat to Senegal

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating following the Pharaohs’ narrow defeat to Senegal in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt suffered a 1-0 loss to Senegal in the semi-final clash, which was played at the Grand Stade of Tangier in Morocco, ending their hopes of reaching the final.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Hossam Hassan began by expressing pride of his players, saying:
“I am proud of the Egypt national team, proud of my players and the performance they delivered throughout the tournament. I want to stress that what happened to us was not professional. We only had two days of rest, traveled, and had to change both our hotel and the stadium.”

He continued:
“Our opponents had more rest than us, and in addition, the kick-off time was changed to an earlier hour, which meant fewer hours of rest. I am not making excuses, but Africa knows the Egypt national team very well and understands its value.”

The Egypt coach went on to criticize the lack of equal treatment, stating:
“FIFA talks about fairness, but we must pay attention to this issue and see real respect for the Egypt national team. When a team reaches the semi-finals, do you reward it or exhaust it? A team should be given the same level of rest as the other three teams that reached the semi-finals.”

Hassan also raised concerns about the referee’s performance:
“The referee was different today compared to the rest of the tournament. The ‘whistle was different’. We do not like to rely on excuses, but I am speaking to you honestly. There were people who seemed worried about our victory and our qualification for the final.”

He added:
“Has anyone ever seen a referee show a yellow card for the very first foul in a semi-final of a major tournament? Or stop play while Marmoush was through on goal?”

Despite his criticism, Hassan reiterated his appreciation for his squad:
“Despite everything, I thank my players and tell them that you are heroes for reaching the semi-final stage.”

Hassan concluded his remarks with a message of pride:
“I told my players that we are the boogeymen of Africa. We are the lions of Africa and the Arab world in every field. I am proud of my country and proud of the seven stars on our shirt.”

Egypt will now turn their attention to the third-place match, where Hossam Hassan and his players will end their AFCON 2025 campaign.

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