Hassan Confident Egypt Can Reclaim AFCON Glory
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has issued a strong warning to the rest of the continent, declaring that his side is targeting nothing less than winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Hassan, a three-time AFCON winner as a player, is adamant that the record champions have the experience and mentality required to go all the way, despite not lifting the trophy since 2010.
Egypt have been drawn in Group B, alongside Bafana Bafana, Zimbabwe and Angola. The Pharaohs will open their campaign against Zimbabwe at Stade Adrar in Agadir on Monday, before facing Hugo Broos’ South African side at the same venue on 26 December. They will conclude their group-stage fixtures against Angola on 29 December, also in Agadir.
“Everyone in the Egyptian national team already has a winning mentality, which is fantastic,” said Hassan on CAF.com.
“Thank God, I managed to win titles with the Egyptian national team as a player in 1998, 2006 and 2008.”
The 1998 triumph remains a painful memory for South African fans, as Egypt defeated Bafana Bafana 2–0 in the final in Burkina Faso. Hassan, who earned 176 caps and scored 68 goals for Egypt, provided the assist for Tarek Mostafa’s goal in the 13th minute, after Ahmed Hassan had opened the scoring in the third minute.
“We will do everything possible to reach the top and lift the trophy again this year,” Hassan added. “Achieving that requires tremendous effort from every member of the team.
“Egypt are always among the favourites in any competition because of our rich history, particularly in the Africa Cup of Nations, where we hold the record with seven titles.”
At the previous AFCON, held in Côte d’Ivoire in 2024, Egypt were eliminated in the round of 16, losing to DR Congo on penalties. Congo later fell to Bafana Bafana in the bronze-medal match, also on penalties.
“As I said, we always play to win, and that demands a lot from the players,” Hassan concluded. “The Egyptian squad has top-quality players at both club and national level, and they are highly motivated for this championship.”
