AFCON 2025: Egypt coach accuses CAF of unfair treatment after semi-final exit

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has launched an attack on the Confederation of African Football (CAF), accusing the organisers of unfair treatment following his side’s semi-final defeat to Senegal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Pharaohs were eliminated after a late strike from Sadio Mané condemned Mohamed Salah’s side to a 1–0 loss, a result that sparked furious reactions from the Egyptian camp.

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Hassan raised seven fingers on the pitch after the final whistle, a reference to Egypt’s record seven AFCON titles, as Egyptian players confronted match officials in the centre circle, with suggestions that the referees had been financially influenced.

Hassan claimed his team were disadvantaged by the tournament’s fixture scheduling, pointing to the heavy travel and shorter recovery time compared to their opponents.

Egypt were forced to travel 490 miles from Agadir to Tangier for the semi-final, just four days after their quarter-final victory over Ivory Coast.

He slammed CAF for giving Senegal an extra day’s rest and playing their previous match against Mali at the same stadium where they later defeated Egypt.

“Egypt does not need excuses and apologies,” Hassan said, as quoted by SportyFM. “Egypt is great, and no one will dare to win seven titles like us.

“We just needed fairness like Senegal. We played the day after Senegal’s match, which was then scheduled to play the semi-final on the same field, and I was surprised by that.

“By what FIFA law is what happened to the Egypt team allowed? When a team reaches the semi-finals, do you honour it or torture it?

“It is expected that teams are given equal rest so we can see a great semi-final, but what happened is that the three teams got more rest.”

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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