The Egyptian national team concluded its camp during the September and October international break with a friendly loss to South Africa at Cairo Stadium on Sunday.
Egypt played three matches during the break, featuring two games in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers and one friendly.
In the first two qualifying matches, Egypt won one and drew the other, collecting 4 points out of a possible 6.
The match against South Africa marked the end of Egypt's camp, intended to improve their ranking and provide playing time for substitutes and new faces.
Although it was a friendly that offered Hossam Hassan an opportunity to assess new players' levels, he fielded a starting lineup that did not include any newcomers.
This approach differed from Hossam Hassan's previous strategy, where he typically tested new players in friendlies, as seen with players like Mostafa Ziko who shone in pre-2026 World Cup friendlies.
Two new faces in the Egyptian national team
Egypt's squad for the camp included two new players: Omar Fayed of Italian club Cremonese and Ali Mahmoud of Al Ahly.
Ali Mahmoud appeared in Egypt's match against Angola in the first round of AFCON qualifiers, playing for only two minutes, while Omar Fayed did not feature in any game.
Additionally, Hamza Abdel Karim, Hossam Hassan's bet for the national team, came on as a substitute, despite the opportunity to start him for the first time.
Meanwhile, Mehdi Soliman entered as a substitute goalkeeper for Egypt in the second half against South Africa, replacing Mostafa Shobair.
This camp may have been the least beneficial for the Egyptian national team under Hossam Hassan's leadership, particularly given the accompanying events.
Egypt currently tops Group B in the AFCON qualifiers with 4 points.
