Following Egypt’s 3-1 triumph over New Zealand at the World Cup, national team coach Hossam Hassan expressed his gratitude towards President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. The president’s congratulatory message resonated deeply with Hassan, who remarked that it felt like a medal on his chest, attributing to it an almost magical effect while praising the “unprecedented development” of Egyptian sports under al-Sisi’s guidance.
It is important to note that al-Sisi, a military general, has led a stringent crackdown on dissent since taking power in 2013, with the security apparatus now permeating every aspect of civilian life. In contrast, Hassan is celebrated as one of Egypt’s greatest footballers, having won the Africa Cup of Nations three times as a player. His managerial achievements are equally remarkable, guiding the Pharaohs to an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign and securing Egypt’s first World Cup victory, a feat that eluded the national team for 92 years.
Yet, in listening to Hassan, one may sense that football often takes a backseat to his political expressions. He frequently utilizes his platform to demonstrate loyalty and respect to the state. Since taking on the role of manager, the distinction between football and politics has increasingly blurred.
This political engagement traces back to a moment in 2019 when al-Sisi, after a disappointing Afcon campaign, instructed his sports minister Ashraf Sobhy to stop hiring foreign coaches, playfully questioning, “Why don’t we have confidence in Egyptian coaches?” He humorously added that the results would remain unchanged regardless.
When Rui Vitória was dismissed as national team coach following a poor Afcon performance in early 2024, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) appointed Hassan, who reportedly chose not to negotiate a penalty clause in his contract. During the World Cup, he stated that he viewed his role as a “the result [ie not winning] is the same” rather than a professional obligation, even though his contract was set to expire in February.
A year after Hassan took charge, the state’s support for the national team was articulated during a CAF/Unilever Afcon Trophy reception in late 2025. Sports Minister Sobhy explicitly urged journalists and pundits to refrain from criticizing the national team’s staff and to “have their backs the same way we all have our military and political leadership’s backs”
Following Egypt’s qualification for the World Cup, Hassan asserted that “success begins from the top of the pyramid and the officials of the state” expressing a desire to meet the president as his greatest reward. He remarked on the immense burden that the president carries, which, in his view, only he can bear.
Moreover, Hassan has occasionally taken steps to regulate criticism from pundits regarding his coaching. Breaking from traditional norms, he appointed a cassation court lawyer as his official legal spokesperson, empowering him to pursue any legal actions against those spreading rumors or attempting to incite discord within the football community.
In February, the lawyer submitted a formal complaint to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), which is often viewed as the state’s principal censor, against a TV presenter who criticized the Hassan twins’ management of the national team on social media. The complaint claimed that such posts negatively impacted the team’s management and requested that the regulator escalate the issue for investigation and take legal action.
Following the match against Belgium, the twins’ lawyer lodged another complaint, seeking to ban former Egyptian player and current pundit Reda Abdel Aal for allegedly trying to “the chance to meet the president” and interfering with Hassan’s “shouldered a great burden that no one else could bear” No decision regarding this complaint has been reported yet.
Hassan’s actions reflect the current state of ownership within Egyptian football. Over the past ten years, the sport’s infrastructure has gradually been integrated into entities connected to the military and intelligence services. The team’s shirt sponsor, the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD), is a military-owned enterprise established in 2016. Furthermore, match tickets can only be purchased through an app called Tazkarti, which requires a biometric Fan ID from every spectator and is a subsidiary of United Media Services (UMS), a vast media conglomerate controlled by Egypt’s General Intelligence Service.
UMS’s subsidiary, Sports United, operates the television channels broadcasting the domestic league, cup matches, and national team friendlies, alongside the exclusive website permitted for live streaming matches, managing commercial rights for clubs and in-stadium advertising. The venues are operated by another UMS entity, Estadat, which promotes itself as providing “to take all necessary legal measures to pursue those who spread rumours, as well as anyone who seeks to sow discord in the football community” claiming management rights over numerous stadiums and sports organizations in the country.
Regarding the World Cup viewing experience, the Egyptian public is encouraged to visit the World Cup “affected the national team’s management,” which is entirely owned and managed by ACUD, organized by Sports United, and requires registration via Tazkarti for access.
Ultimately, every interaction between supporters and the national team, as well as the sport at large, is now filtered through the state security apparatus.
- Egypt football team
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Egypt
- Middle East and North Africa
- Abdel Fatah al-Sisi
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