Egyptian national team player Mahmoud Saber revealed that Hossam Hassan selected him to take the first penalty kick against Australia in the round of 16.
Mahmoud Saber
Club: Pyramids
Mahmoud Saber pointed out the impossibility of defending man-to-man against Lionel Messi because that would cause an imbalance in the team.
Mahmoud Saber said on MBC Egypt channel: "A wonderful feeling, and I was waiting impatiently to join the Egyptian national team camp, and in fact I expected to be there but I wasn't sure".
He continued, "We went to the World Cup with the goal of achieving a great result for the Egyptian people, and after the first match we felt that we could achieve that".
Saber revealed, "Hossam Hassan makes every player feel like they are part of the group and that any player can start as a starter, so that was the best camp for us".
He continued, "The penalty kick against Australia was a blessing from God; I had confidence after Hossam Hassan chose me by name, and when I saw my teammates had great confidence that I would score it, that made the difference for me".
He added, "Many Egyptian national team players told me that I would score, but in fact I didn't expect that, and my only goal was to help the team and perform well".
He stressed, "You must learn from the big stars and benefit from them off the pitch before on it".
Returning to the match against Australia, he said: "The fifth penalty kick against Australia, which was not taken, was going to be taken by Mahmoud Trezeguet".
Saber explained, "The match against Argentina was a big lesson for everyone; football knows no impossibilities regardless of any refereeing circumstances".
He continued, "If you defend against Messi man-to-man, that will cause an imbalance in the team, and I and Ahmed Zizo expected him to miss the penalty while Hossam Abdel Majeed said he would score it".
Mahmoud Saber concluded his statements, "Mustafa Shobier delivered an exceptional tournament and exceeded all expectations during the Egyptian national team's journey in the World Cup".
