Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan. (AFP)
Doha, Qatar: Egypt have turned its attention to the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 after making history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time, with players and head coach Hossam Hassan expressing confidence that the Pharaohs can continue their remarkable journey.
Egypt's dramatic 1-1 draw against Iran in Group G saw them finish runners-up in their group, level on points with Belgium but behind on goal difference. Iran were made to wait to discover their fate after the draw.
Egypt will now face Australia in the knockout stage on Friday.
“We are ready to face anyone,” head coach Hossam Hassan said qualifying for the knockout stage reflected the determination and character shown by his players throughout the group stage, insisting the team would approach the next challenge without fear.
“We’re capable of playing our brand of football and adapting while respecting every opponent. We won’t fear anyone. The World Cup is a unique competition and, of course, we’ll have to take on strong sides. We’re prepared for every scenario. Anything is possible in football.”
Despite losing five key players through injury and midfielder Mohanad Lasheen to suspension after accumulating two yellow cards, Hassan said he has complete confidence in every member of his squad.
Salah injury ‘not serious’
One concern during Egypt’s qualification came when captain Mohamed Salah asked to be substituted in the 57th minute after feeling discomfort in his hamstring. Television cameras later showed the Egyptian star applying ice to the affected area on the substitutes’ bench, raising fears over his availability for the knockout stage.
Hassan, however, played down the injury after the match.
“The substitution was a precautionary measure after he felt tightness in his hamstring to avoid aggravating the injury,” the coach said.
“The injury does not appear to be serious. I spoke with Salah after the match, and he assured me everything would be fine. It is not a major injury.”
Eyes already on Australia
Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier, one of Egypt’s standout performers during the group stage, admitted the closing stages of the draw against Iran were among the toughest moments of the tournament.
“Our goal was always to make the Egyptian people happy,” Shobier said.
“We will celebrate today, then immediately shift our focus to Australia. We will study them carefully because every team that reaches this stage is strong. Our ambition is to achieve something unprecedented.”
Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”, who replaced Salah after his substitution, described the qualification as one of the proudest moments of his career.
“I cannot describe how happy I am. We are giving everything to make the Egyptian people proud, and we hope this is only the beginning,” he said.
“Our journey is far from over. We will start preparing for Australia immediately because we believe we can continue making history.”
Midfielder Mahmoud Saber, scorer of Egypt’s goal against Iran, echoed that belief.
“We wanted to finish as group winners, but qualifying for the Round of 32 is still a historic achievement for Egyptian football,” Saber said.
“Now we want to keep going,” he added.
The celebrations sparked across Egypt, with thousands of supporters filling streets and public squares waving national flags, singing patriotic songs and celebrating the country’s first qualification for the World Cup knockout stage.
