Hassan says Egypt must impose its own style against Argentina

Hossam Hassan has urged Egypt to show they belong on the World Cup stage when they face Argentina in the last 16.

Egypt reached the knockout round after beating Australia on penalties, and Hassan said the short turnaround and difficult weather had made preparation tougher. He added that a cancelled training session had forced the squad to focus on recovery.

“We respect Argentina completely, but we are thinking only about ourselves and our work,” Hassan said at his pre-match press conference. He said the squad trained together for the first session after the Australia game and that all players were available.

Hassan also highlighted Lionel Messi’s presence in the Argentina squad, but said Egypt must not be overawed by the opposition’s reputation. He said the team’s priority was to impose its own style rather than become concerned by the name across from them.

The Egypt coach also addressed the use of video analysis before the shootout against Australia and backed FIFA’s decisions on disciplinary matters, while pointing to what he saw as an unfair suspension for teammate Mohamed Lasheen. He closed by saying Egypt wanted to represent the Arab world and Africa with pride and make up for years of missed chances.