Hossam Hassan, the coach of the first Egyptian national football team, expressed his happiness with the team’s achievement in the 2026 World Cup, stressing that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s reception of the national team’s delegation represents a medal on the chest of the technical staff and players.
Hossam Hassan said, during his speech at the Egyptian Football Association’s celebration of the national teams on Tuesday, that every word that President Sisi said during his reception of the delegation carried an important meaning and message.
He added that the Egyptian President gave confidence to national competencies, and demanded reliance on the Egyptian coach in light of the successes he achieved during the past period.
The Egyptian team's technical director explained that the team succeeded in bringing smiles back to the faces of the fans, noting that the recent period witnessed the return of the fans to rally around the team after the results and levels presented by the team.
Hossam Hassan confirmed that the technical staff enjoys full support from the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Football Association, whether during the period of the previous board headed by Gamal Allam or the current board headed by Hani Abu Raida, considering that this support was one of the main reasons behind the recent successes.
He pointed out that the next stage will witness more cooperation and coordination in order to achieve the aspirations of the Egyptian masses.
Hossam Hassan greeted the Egyptian fans inside and outside the country for their continued support for the team, stressing that the technical staff and players will continue to work to make them happy.
The technical director called on the players of the various national teams to make every effort to represent Egypt, stressing the necessity of work and commitment in order to preserve the status of Egyptian football.
Hossam Hassan praised the National Teams Center, stressing that it has become an integrated headquarters for all teams and includes the necessary capabilities for technical staff and players, including stadiums, accommodation rooms, training and recovery halls, lecture and meeting halls, swimming pools and recreational facilities.
Hossam Hassan called on all national teams to take advantage of the capabilities provided by the center and work to achieve more successes for Egyptian football in various international tournaments and forums.
The announcement of the Moroccan Tariq Al-Saktiwi, coach of the Omani national team, of his list to participate in the “Arabian Gulf Cup - Gulf 27” in Jeddah, sparked widespread discussion in the Omani sports and media circles, after his choices were accompanied by the absence of a number of names that used to appear in the “Red” shirt during the past years, led by Abdul Rahman Al-Mushaifri, the Kuwaiti Al-Qadisiyah striker, and Salah Al-Yahiaei, the professional in Al-Faisaly of Jordan.
Al-Saktiwi chose 26 players for the tournament. They are: Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini, Ahmed Al-Rawahi, Ibrahim Al-Rajhi, Hareb Al-Saadi, Khaled Al-Buraiki, Abdul Majeed Al-Balushi, Mohsen Al-Ghassani, Jamil Al-Yahmadi, Ahmed Al-Kaabi, Amjad Al-Harithi, Abdullah Fawaz, Zaher Al-Aghbari, Musab Al-Shaqsi, Ghanem Al-Habashi, Issam Al-Subhi, Nasser Al-Rawahi, Ahed Al-Mashaykhi, Sultan Al-Marzouq, and Khaled. Al-Ghatrifi, Abdul-Hafiz Al-Mukhaini, Turki Beit Rabei, Youssef Al-Maliki, Hussein Al-Shehri, Al-Harith Al-Mukhaini, Arshad Al-Alawi, and Walid Al-Muslimi.
But the list of those absent was as striking as the names present; The technical staff excluded Ahmed Al-Khamisi, Salah Al-Yahiaei, Al-Mundhir Al-Alawi, Abdul Salam Al-Shukaili, and Abdul Rahman Al-Mushaifri, in addition to other names who had previously been with the national team.
Oman newspaper described Al-Saktiwi’s choices as carrying “wholesale surprises,” especially since a number of those excluded were among the team’s accounts in the recent period.
The absence of Al-Mushafri took up the largest share of the discussion, given the level the striker presented with the national team and his offensive capabilities, in addition to his current experience with Al-Qadisiyah of Kuwait. Opinions in the Omani media community considered that his exclusion represents a technical loss for Al-Ahmar, and he was described as one of the most distinguished players among the absent names, amid questions about the technical reasons that prompted Al-Saktiwi not to use him.
The exclusion of Al-Yahyaei also raised questions, especially given his professionalism outside the Sultanate. However, a common point between him and Al-Mushafri is that neither of them had previously worked with Al-Saktiwi during the past camps. Hence, an explanation emerged in the media discussion that the Moroccan coach may have preferred to proceed with the group that he had closely tested during the previous period, and which had become more inclusive of his ideas and playing style, instead of introducing extensive changes before the tournament.
This reading is consistent with Al-Saktiwi’s vision that he spoke about since assuming the mission. He stressed that the first camps represented an opportunity to learn more about the players’ capabilities, mentalities, and their ability to implement his ideas, stressing his desire to form a homogeneous group capable of working collectively, within a project that does not stop at the “Gulf Cup,” but rather aims to build a team capable of competing at the continental level.
The Omani national team underwent a phased preparation program under the leadership of Al-Saktiwi, which included an external camp in Indonesia, during which it played two friendly matches against Indonesia and Mozambique, before returning to complete preparations through an internal camp at the “Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex” in Bausher. The coach had indicated that previous matches and gatherings gave him a clearer picture of his players and helped the technical staff determine the features of work for the next stage.
Al-Ahmar is currently putting the final touches on his preparations in the internal camp, before traveling to Jeddah on Thursday, September 17, to enter the final stage of preparation. The team’s program in Jeddah, according to what was reported by the “Oman” newspaper, does not include playing friendly matches. Work will focus on training and preparing for the first confrontation in the tournament.
The Omani national team plays in a strong group that includes the host Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, and begins its journey by facing Iraq on September 23, before meeting Saudi Arabia on the 26th, then Kuwait on September 29 at the end of the group stage. The Omani national team arrives in Jeddah with the ambition of competing again after reaching the final of the last edition of the Gulf Cup, but Al-Saktiwi enters the tournament this time and his choices have been under the microscope since before the starting whistle.
Between his adherence to the group he worked with during the preparation period, and the criticism that accompanied the exclusion of prominent names, the arena will be the judgment on Al-Sektiwi’s options, most prominent of which is the most controversial decision to date: abandoning Abdul Rahman Al-Mushaifri.
