Mo Salah’s manager launches angry rant with wild allegations in AFCON outburst
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan accused their rivals of being jealous after his side missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations final after defeat against Senegal in their semi-final
Egypt boss Hossam Hassan has incredibly accused the African Cup of Nations of treating his side unfairly in a furious outburst. Mohamed Salah & Co fell at the semi-final stage in a 1-0 defeat to Senegal after the Liverpool superstar’s former Anfield team-mate Sadio Mane was the only man to get on the scoresheet.
Now, the fiery affair is seeing calls of conspiracy from an embittered coach, who claimed his side were tortured by the tournament’s scheduling and that everyone is ‘jealous’ of the nation’s success in the competition.
Hassan could be seen on the field holding seven fingers aloft, corresponding to the number of titles won by his homeland. Following the game, as the officials remained in the centre of the field, Egypt’s players gestured towards the referees and even accused them of being paid off.
Egypt faced Senegal in Tangier after defeating the Ivory Coast four days prior, in Agadir, 490 miles away. Senegal had a day of extra rest despite facing Mali in the same stadium as their eventual semi-final win.
Hassan was not going to let the night pass without highlighting the disadvantages his team faced. The boss appeared to suggest his side had been targeted by such decisions.
READ MORE: Hugo Ekitike aims pointed Liverpool dig at rivals with tongue-in-cheek jibeREAD MORE: Will Mohamed Salah be back for Liverpool’s next match after AFCON semi-final loss?
“Egypt does not need excuses and apologies,” he vented, per SportyFM. “Egypt is great and no one will dare to win seven titles like us.
“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?” he continued. “When a team reaches the semis, do you honour it or torture it?
“It is expected that teams will be given a break fairly among them to see a great semi, but what happened is that the three teams got more rest.
“I told the players to ignore [the chants from the stands] and focus. I don’t want to talk about it. 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, and everyone is jealous!”
Despite being led by figures such as Salah, and Manchester City star Omar Marmoush, Egypt last found AFCON glory in 2010, having also won the previous two editions of the competition.
The Pharaohs finished as runners-up to Senegal in 2022 when they lost on penalties, with Mane scoring the winning spotkick, and Salah was tragically not required as the fifth penalty taker.
Egypt will have to play in the third-place play off on Saturday, while Senegal will face either hosts Morocco or Nigeria in the final on Sunday.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
