Hossam Hassan's journey with the Egyptian national team ended unexpectedly, after the coach who led the "Pharaohs" to the round of 16 in the World Cup for the first time became the focus of a series of disputes and technical, media and personal crises.
While the decision of the Egyptian Football Association to appoint Ali Maher as his successor raised questions about the real reasons behind his departure, the name of Mohamed Salah topped the scene, amid speculation about the role of the national team captain in ending the mission of the “general.”
According to the Egyptian media, the controversy escalated regarding Salah’s relationship with the dismissal decision, especially after the visit of Federation President Hani Abu Raida to the player in the Turkish city of Trabzon, late last October, in a move that reports linked to an attempt to contain tension between the national team captain and the technical staff. However, Mustafa Abu Zahra, a member of the Egyptian Federation’s Board of Directors, categorically denied Salah’s interference in the dismissal of Hossam Hassan or the selection of his successor.
Abu Zahra said, in statements to the Egyptian “On Sport” channel, that “Mohamed Salah has no role in choosing Ali Maher to coach the national team, and the decision is made by the federation itself,” explaining that Abu Raida’s visit to the player came within the framework of a relationship similar to that of a father with his son.
He added that despite his previous disagreements with Salah, the latter does not interfere at all in choosing the technical staff, stressing the federation’s desire to continue with the national team for as long as possible.
The Egyptian Federation announced on Saturday the termination of the duties of Hossam Hassan and his supporting staff, including his brother Ibrahim Hassan, who served as the national team’s manager, after reviewing the recent events and their negative impact on the positive image and stability of the national team, stressing that maintaining stability represents the highest priority.
The decision came three days after the Supreme Council for Media Regulation banned Hossam Hassan from appearing in the media, against the backdrop of a case related to his private life and his disputes with his ex-wife.
According to local media reports, lawyers representing the coach filed a complaint against his ex-wife, Dina Mustafa, known in the media as “Dan Adam,” which included accusations of forging official documents and marrying spouses, accusations that were denied by her representatives. The Council did not reveal the details of the violations on which the ban was based.
The move sparked widespread reactions, as Osama Nabih, the former assistant coach of the Egyptian national team, said on MBC Egypt 2 that he did not remember a national team coach being subjected to a similar decision, adding that if he had been in Hossam Hassan’s place, he would have resigned.
Personal crises were not the only reason behind the escalation of pressure on the coach, as last September witnessed an incident that sparked widespread controversy, when Mohamed Salah was substituted in the 60th minute during a goalless draw against Angola in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers. The coach described the substitution as a technical decision, but Salah’s departure from the camp and his absence from the next match against South Sudan, which ended in a 5-0 victory for Egypt, increased speculation about a dispute between the two parties.
On the other hand, the Egyptian Federation explained that the player’s absence was due to his desire to avoid playing on artificial turf fields.
Criticism extended to the way Hassan dealt with other players, led by goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, after statements by the coach that were considered a downgrade of his status sparked widespread controversy, especially with the goalkeeper’s return to providing good levels with Al-Ahly. There were also reports of disagreements with striker Mustafa Mohamed, who was absent from the national team roster for several months.
In this context, former Egyptian international Ibrahim Saeed criticized the way Hossam Hassan managed the stars, saying that one of his biggest mistakes was his failure to understand the nature of the presence of a world-class player of Salah’s stature within the national team.
He pointed out, through his Facebook account, that dealing with the captain of the “Pharaohs” sometimes seemed like a new player required to prove himself, adding that the statements related to El-Shenawy and the accumulated disagreements reduced the circle of supporters for the coach’s continuation.
He believed that the crisis in the relationship with Salah may have contributed to the end reached by the technical staff, without this meaning that the player asked for his dismissal.
Ahmed Hossam “Mido” had also warned in September of the deteriorating situation, saying that things were “out of control,” and calling on officials to intervene. Hassan also faced a three-match suspension from FIFA, after criticizing the referee of the match against Argentina, which ended with Egypt’s exit from the World Cup.
The irony is that this end came after a period that witnessed notable successes since Hassan was appointed to succeed Portuguese Rui Vitoria in February 2024.
He led the national team to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, before finishing fourth, and then secured qualification to the 2026 World Cup, as it passed the group stage after drawing with Belgium and Iran and beating New Zealand, before defeating Australia on penalties, then losing to Argentina 3-2 in the round of 16, despite leading by two goals.
Hassan returned from the World Cup to a huge public reception, and received an offer to extend his contract until 2030. He was also included among the candidates for the African Union Awards for the year 2026.
During 38 matches under his leadership, Egypt achieved 21 victories and 10 draws, compared to seven defeats.
After the dismissal, the Egyptian Federation chose Ali Maher, 52 years old, as the coach of Ceramica Cleopatra, who led his team to the Egyptian League Cup title in the 2024-2025 season and fourth place in the league. He will begin his mission by facing Malawi on November 13 and 17 in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where Egypt leads Group Two with four points, with the camp starting on the ninth of the same month.
As soon as the Egyptian Football Association announced the dismissal of Hossam Hassan, the coach of the “Pharaohs” team, from his position, and the assignment of the task to coach Ali Maher, the sports street witnessed a sharp difference in opinions about the decision, and questions were raised that reached Parliament about the real reasons for the dismissal.
The Football Association, in an official statement on Saturday evening, explained its decision by saying that “the interest of the first national team is our top priority,” and that “preserving the stability of the national team represents a top priority that cannot be tolerated.”
He added: “After studying all the circumstances and events witnessed in the past period, and the resulting repercussions and negative impact on the positive image of our national team and its stability, the Board of Directors decided, within the framework of its responsibility, to thank Hossam Hassan and his technical and administrative staff based on the terms of the contract.”
The last days have witnessed a legal escalation in the personal crisis existing between Hossam Hassan and his ex-wife, Dan Adam, after it was announced that legal measures had been taken against her, against the backdrop of accusations related to forgery and polyandry. Against this background, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation in Egypt decided to prevent Hossam Hassan from appearing on all media outlets. Before that, Hassan faced accusations of “mishandling the stars,” most notably the national team’s captain, Mohamed Salah, and goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shenawy.
With the publication of the dismissal statement, social media platforms turned into a gathering arena for supporters and opponents of the dismissal decision. The movement opposing the decision was based on the principle that the evaluation should have been technical and not based on the coach’s personal crises, considering that he was “the first technical director to be replaced for non-technical reasons,” stressing that these errors, whatever their degree, are not a criterion for canceling sporting successes.
Hossam Hassan led the “Pharaohs” to reach the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, in an unprecedented achievement, and before that he reached the semi-finals of the 2026 African Cup of Nations. These are the results that bloggers saw as making the dismissal a “clear injustice,” and a step on the part of Football Association officials that will set Egyptian football back, refusing to dismiss a coach who succeeded in restoring the team’s fighting spirit. A group of them expressed their sadness by threatening to boycott the team’s support in protest against what they described as a “conspiracy” against a national coach who restored the passion for Egyptian football fans.
“logical ending”
In complete contrast, the movement supporting the dismissal decision called it “a logical end to a path whose owner mismanaged his personal life,” stressing that values and public discipline are inseparable from sporting results.
Some explained that the coach represents a face for his country, and that his behavior and family life cannot be separated from his senior position, and that managing his crises on screens made his clash with the Football Association system inevitable.
Some comments indicated that Hossam Hassan “unjustly treated himself” because of his “confrontational personality,” criticizing his lack of boundaries between public and private in dealing with national team players.
On the other hand, some comments held the team captain, Mohamed Salah, responsible for the departure of his technical director, claiming that Egyptian Federation President Hani Abu Raida’s meeting with him in Turkey came to accelerate the pace of dismissal, which, according to them, confirms that “Salah is stronger than any coach.” This prompted Mustafa Abu Zahra, a member of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Football Association, to comment, saying in televised statements that there is no interference for Salah or any player in the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors.
In addition, Hossam Hassan’s dismissal reached the Egyptian Parliament after a member of the House of Representatives, Mohamed Tolba, submitted a briefing request, demanding “clarification of the technical and administrative motives on which the federation relied in making this decision, especially in light of the announcement of the renewal of his contract,” and the need for “the Football Association to present a clear technical plan for the next stage, which includes the goals of the national team and mechanisms for developing performance.”
A few weeks ago, the Egyptian Football Association renewed its contract with Hossam Hassan to lead the Egyptian national team until 2030. Sports critic Mohamed Al-Barami explains the wide discrepancy among the fans by saying that Hossam Hassan’s dismissal was not due to the results or the team’s decline, as everyone was accustomed to previously, but rather because of a personal reason, which is somewhat unusual in talking about dismissals of coaches, in addition to the fact that he led the Egyptian national team well, and therefore it is natural that there is sympathy for him.
He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: “Hossam achieved positive results, and came after a period of instability and major changes. He contributed to the formation of the national team, and he presented himself well in the African Championship, and then in the World Cup. However, his personal life and its successive influences contributed greatly to the decline in his popularity, and the public began to get bored with the daily talk about divorce and marriage and many sensitive details, until we reached the final crisis by accusing his ex-wife of marrying two spouses, all of which are issues that Egyptian society does not like to delve into much due to their sensitivity.”
Sports critic Rania Abdel Wahab believes that the public’s reaction to Hossam Hassan’s departure has a clear discrepancy, and points of view worthy of respect. Overall, it confirms that the coach’s experience was influential and full of important moments, even though it was not without mistakes and problems.
She added to Asharq Al-Awsat: “Without exaggeration, no one can ignore or deny what Hossam Hassan presented in terms of results and numbers. These are numbers that will be preserved by history, and they are facts that cannot be erased or diminished over time, no matter how different opinions are about his personality or the way he manages the team.”
