Egypt players line up for penalties during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON 3rd place playoff match between Egypt and Nigeria at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco on 17 January 2026 ©Nour Aknajja/BackpagePix
Sunday Jan 18, 2026. 11:00
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan believes that his side ‘exceeded expectation’ after a fourth-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Pharaohs suffered a 4-2 loss on penalties against Nigeria in the match for third place at Stade Mohammed V on Saturday night. While the game ended 0-0 in regulation time, penalty misses by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush saw the Super Eagles walk to victory in Casablanca.
Speaking after the match, Hassan expressed that Egypt did not let their adoring fans down throughout the showpiece.
“We delivered a strong tournament and I am proud of the players, the value of the Egypt national team, and what we achieved,” Hassan said, as per Pan Africa Football.
“We exceeded expectations that were set for us before the tournament and did not let the Egyptian fans down.
“We reached the final day of the tournament, and it could have been either us or Nigeria reaching the final. Luck and small details made the difference. This would have been my opinion even if we had won today. Penalty shootouts are about luck and fortune, and Nigeria have top-level players.”