Hossam Hassan won the title as a player in 1988, 1998 and 2006
* The seven-time AfCON champions drawn into Group B of Morocco 2025 finals along with COSAFA sides South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe
* We have been lucky enough to have Mo Salah, one of the best players in the world—Hassan
* On paper, Egypt is the biggest threat to us in the group—South Africa coach Hugo Broos
Maravi Express
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has declared his ambition to guide the Pharaohs to a record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) title as they prepare to compete in Morocco for the 2025 edition set for December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.
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From the seven titles that the Pharaohs won (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010), Hossam Hassan won it as a player in 1988, 1998 and 2006.
Thus his craving for the title once more, this time as coach and his first experience of the tournament in that role having previously competed in the finals as a player a multiple times.
His coaching career highlights include mentoring several Egyptian clubs — such as Zamalek, Al-Masry, Alexandria’s Ittihad, Ismaily, and Pyramids FC, in addition to other clubs and he also has some experience with national teams, having previously coached Jordan.
Speaking to CAFonline after Monday night’s draw in Rabat, Hassan emphasised the quality of his squad and the responsibility they bear as one of the tournament’s most successful nations — and been drawn into Group B, along with Council for Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) members, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.
Hassan
The group presents a mix of familiar foes, with Egypt holding a long-standing rivalry with South Africa, dating back to AfCON 1996, when Bafana Bafana won their first and only title at Egypt’s expense.
Zimbabwe, returning for their 6th AfCON appearance, and Angola, who reached the quarter-finals in 2008 and 2010, will also be aiming to make an impact.
The Pharaohs will be almost at home playing in neighbouring Morocco, a country Hassan believes will provide the right conditions for a successful campaign: “This Africa Cup of Nations is going to go well because the infrastructure in Morocco is superb. We’re delighted to be one of the qualified teams, and we want to win the eighth title.
Egypt’s hopes will largely rest on Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, regarded as one of Africa’s greatest players — along with Omar Marmoush, who has been making waves following his recent move to Manchester City, and are expected to play a crucial role in Egypt’s attack.
Always closely marked Mo Salah
“We have been lucky enough to have Mo Salah, one of the best players in the world,” Hassan told CAFonline. “I’m delighted to have players like him and [Omar] Marmoush. We want to honour the fans and Egyptian football here in Morocco.”
Despite their historic dominance, Egypt has not lifted the AfCON trophy since 2010, when Hassan Shehata led the team to a third consecutive title.
Since then, the record champions have come close but fallen short, including losing two final matches in 2017 and 2021 and for the former Egyptian legend, the mission is clear: to restore Egypt to the top of African football.
“We have won the championship thanks to the great players who have represented this country throughout history,” he said. “Now, we have another great team with Salah and Marmoush.
“Their presence is a positive pressure on the squad, and I promise Egyptian fans that we will see many talented players shine at this AfCON.”
With the top two teams from each group and four best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage, Egypt’s primary goal will be securing qualification from Group B before targeting the latter stages of the tournament.
Potential match-ups in the Round of 16 could see Egypt face the likes of Senegal or Côte d’Ivoire, two of the continent’s heavyweights — however, Hassan remains focused on the task at hand.
“We respect all our opponents, but our focus is on playing strong, disciplined football. We want to bring the AfCON trophy back to Egypt.”
With 11 months to prepare, Egypt will be one of the teams to watch when the tournament kicks off on December 21, 2025 — but so will the focus on Egypt’s rivals in the group; South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos acknowledges that Egypt will be the team to beat in Group B, but remains optimistic about Bafana Bafana’s chances of progressing to the knockout rounds.
South Africa, who secured third place at AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023, are aiming to build on their recent success and challenge for their first continental title since 1996.
Speaking after the draw in Rabat, Broos expressed confidence in his squad while recognising the difficulty of the task ahead — quickly highlighting Egypt’s pedigree and recent resurgence as key factors in the Pharaohs’ status as Group B favorites.
Hugo Broos
“On paper, Egypt is the biggest threat to us in the group,” Broos admitted in an interview with CAFonline. “They did not perform well in the last edition and were eliminated early, but over the past year, they have built a strong team and performed brilliantly in the qualifiers. They will be the team we must beat if we want to top the group.”
While Egypt remain the biggest hurdle, Broos pointed out that South Africa will not underestimate fellow COSAFA sides, Zimbabwe or Angola: “We also have Zimbabwe, and this is the fourth time we will play against them.
“We faced them in World Cup qualifiers and previous AfCON qualifiers, but they were disqualified and the match didn’t take place. We will play them again in the World Cup qualifiers, so we know our neighbours well, and these matches are always tough. But beating them is very possible.”
Zimbabwe, returning to AfCON after missing the 2023 edition, will be eager to make an impact, while Angola, a team Broos admitted he does not know well, will require thorough analysis.
“For me, Angola is a team that I don’t know well,” he said. “So it’s important to study them and prepare well for the match.”
South Africa enter the Morocco 2025 with renewed confidence after finishing third at the last edition in Côte d’Ivoire, a campaign that ended with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over DR Congo in the third-place playoff.
Broos believes that experience will be valuable heading into the tournament in Morocco: “In general, I am happy with the draw. The group is not very easy, but on the other hand, we have a great chance of qualifying for the next round.
“At AfCON, anything is possible in the knockout stages, and we will do everything to have a better tournament than the last one.”—Content by CAFonline; editing by Maravi Express
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