Hossam Hassan, the technical director of the Egyptian national team, spoke about the behind-the-scenes selection of Mustafa Zico for the national team squad, as well as Imam Ashour's role with the Pharaohs in the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian national team bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup competitions after a historic run that took them to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by the defending champions, the Argentine national team, with a score of (3-2) amid widespread refereeing controversy.
The Egyptian national team returned to the country yesterday, Friday, and was honored by President Sisi following the Pharaohs' remarkable campaign in the 2026 World Cup tournament.
Hossam Hassan's statements
Hossam Hassan, the technical director of the Egyptian national team, said on "ON" channel: "Imam Ashour is a good player who possesses great abilities, but he needs guidance because he has tremendous energy and skill, and therefore he always needs a coach to direct him. He is a very kind and humorous player, and all the players love him, and he is one of the players who create the best atmosphere inside the camp."
He added: "Imam Ashour is a joker player, but I prefer to deploy him in a specific position in midfield, even though he can play in more than one position. I always choose players who have the ability to play in more than one position, and he possesses distinctive defensive and offensive abilities, in addition to his excellence in scoring goals."
Regarding the selection of Mustafa Zico, he said: "When I was the coach of Al-Masry Club, I watched Zico playing with Haras El Hodoud, and I wanted to sign him for the team, but I left Al-Masry, and since then I have been following him because he is a distinguished player with great potential."
He continued: "I choose regardless of names or clubs. It is easy to choose players from big clubs, but I choose those who deserve to join the Egyptian national team. The injuries of Mohamed Hamdy and Islam Issa affected us greatly, and I was saddened by their absence from the World Cup."
He went on: "Islam Issa was one of the best players in the national team camp before traveling, but after his injury, I focused on following the league and searching for players who have passion and whose playing style suits the national team's approach, so I felt that Mustafa Zico was the best option to compensate for Islam Issa's absence, especially since he can play in more than one position."
He concluded: "Mustafa Zico is the epitome of politeness and good manners, and the World Cup camp was his first with the national team. This player bears responsibility for his family and supports his mother, and he is not ashamed to talk about that in front of his teammates, which reflects his character."
