Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has claimed that other African nations are envious of the Pharaohs’ record seven Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles following his side’s semi-final defeat to Senegal on Wednesday.

The Pharaohs were edged out in a tightly contested encounter, with former Liverpool star Sadio Mané scoring the decisive second-half goal to send the Teranga Lions into the final.

Speaking during his post-match press conference, Hassan launched a scathing attack on the tournament organisers, accusing AFCON of unfairly treating his team, particularly with regard to fixture scheduling.

“Egypt does not need excuses and apologies. Egypt is great and no one will dare to win seven titles like us,” Hassan said.

The outspoken coach argued that Egypt were disadvantaged by having less recovery time than their opponents and questioned the decision to schedule matches in a way he believes worked against his team.

“We just needed fairness like Senegal. We played the day after the Senegal match, who are playing in the semi on the same field, and I’m surprised by that.

“By what FIFA law is what happened to the Egypt team done? When a team reaches the semi-finals, do you honour it or torture it?

“It is expected that teams will be given rest fairly among them to see a great semi-final, but what happened is that the other teams got more rest,” he added.

Hassan also addressed the atmosphere in the stadium, stating that he instructed his players to ignore chants from the stands and remain focused during the match.

“We are Arabs of Africa, and Egypt is great — the mother of the Arabs and the mother of Africa in terms of history and titles.

Everyone is jealous,” he declared.
Despite the disappointment, Egypt still have the opportunity to finish the tournament on a positive note when they face Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Interestingly, Hassan’s side defeated Nigeria 2–1 in a pre-AFCON friendly match in Cairo earlier this year, a result they will hope to replicate as they seek a bronze-medal finish at AFCON 2025.