Egypt coach Hossam Hassan repeated his attack on the local Premier League, after a draw with Angola at the start of the qualifying campaign for the 2027 African Cup of Nations.
Hassan said in the press conference that followed the match that he hopes that the technical and physical level will become higher in the Egyptian League.
He added: “Unfortunately, I get the players and prepare them for the clubs.” Pointing out that there is no “star player” who caught attention in the league, and that the technical levels of the teams are “very modest.”
Egypt tied 0-0 with Angola at Cairo International Stadium in a match scarce, to occupy second place in the second group of the qualifiers, behind Malawi, which defeated South Sudan.
Hassan sarcastically told reporters after the match: “The players in the national team are from our clubs.” The season has begun, and as you can see, the performance we are seeing in the league is much higher than the football we present with the national team.”
The Egyptian national team will travel to Juba to face South Sudan on Tuesday, in the second round of the qualifiers.
Ibrahim Hamdani, the new coach of the Algerian national football team, confirmed that his team needs greater effectiveness and improvement in finishing the final attack following the “Greens” victory over Zambia 3-1, on Friday evening, at the end of the first round of the ninth group matches of the qualifiers for the 2027 African Cup of Nations finals.
The Algerian national team topped Group Nine on goal difference over the Togolese national team, which defeated its guest, Burundi, with an unanswered goal, earlier on Friday.
Hamdani said, in the press conference after the match: “In general, we succeeded in achieving what we planned. I am satisfied with what we accomplished in the first match, and its result confirms that.” “I think we lived up to the expectations of the fans. We did positive things in the goal related to the playing project, as well as achieving the goal of winning the three points.”
But Hamdani warned of the team’s lack of the offensive effectiveness required against strong teams that have more experience, calling for work to improve the end of the final attack.
He also praised the players' reaction after the Zambian national team adjusted the score in the 57th minute, noting that he informed them during the break between halftime about the opponent's speed and danger in direct play and counterattacks.
He continued: “We cannot be perfect from the first match. We tried, after only 48 hours of work, to put the players in good conditions. They had the audacity to attack, and we will continue to work to be better in the future.”
Hamdani seemed happy with the quality of the players included in the Algerian national team, expressing his hope that he would always have difficulty choosing the starting lineup.
The Algeria coach denied that there was a problem or disagreement with Rayan Ait Nouri, the Manchester City defender, who did not participate in the match, or that striker Mohamed Amin Amoura was angry, explaining that the tests would determine the fate of striker Amine Gouiri, who left the match in the 19th minute due to a thigh injury.
For his part, George Lwandamina, coach of the Zambian national team, acknowledged the right of the Algerian national team to win the match, pointing out that his team must win all the matches that it will play at home in order to remain in the race to qualify for the Cannes finals.
Lwandamina also pointed out that the Zambian national team includes young players full of ambition to work harder, praising the skills of the Algerian national team players, which he ranked among the best teams on the continental level.
Mohamed Wehbe, coach of the Moroccan national football team, said that the outcome of the match against Gabon was positive in terms of result and performance, stressing that the team is on the right path, but at the same time he stressed the need to be patient given the presence of a number of young players and the amount of work that still awaits the group.
Wehbe explained, during the press conference following the Moroccan national team’s victory over Gabon 2-0 in Rabat, at the opening of the first group matches of the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, that his team performed well, adding: “The outcome is good, both a result and a performance, and we presented good things, but we must try to maintain our own rhythm of play, and not fall into the traps of competitors by being complacent.”
The Moroccan coach added that building a new team requires time, and said: “We are on the right path with the presence of young and young players, and we must be patient, as we still have a long work ahead of us.”
Speaking about Ibrahim Diaz, Wehbe revealed that the Real Madrid player was suffering from a mild injury that prevented him from participating against Gabon, but he insisted on staying with the national team and traveling with him to South Africa to face Lesotho, while continuing his treatment program.
Wehbe said that the decision to start the match with Al-Zabiri instead of Sufyan Rahimi is not related to a comparison between the players, explaining that Al-Zabiri “is currently performing well with his team,” and that the issue for him is not related to who starts the match or who finishes it, but rather who provides what is required on the field.
He added: “I know the potential of Rahimi and Saeed for the performance of the players together in the match,” referring to the offensive options he adopted during the confrontation with Gabon.
The Moroccan national team coach expressed his satisfaction with the level presented by the young players who recently joined the first team, whether in terms of personality or skills, considering that their appearance in this way represents a positive indicator for the future of the group.
