"Trezeguet is a player who is always ready to succeed, never making excuses to skip any games, even when injured," Hossam Hassan praised his star player during the post-game press conference in Botswana.

"Trezeguet is an invaluable asset to us," the Egypt national team coach added.

The Pharaohs settled for back-to-back draws for the first time in these qualifiers, finishing at the top of Group C with 14 points.

The 58-year-old coach, Hassan, expressed disappointment at the absence of fans during the Botswana draw, questioning why the national team's achievements often receive diminished attention.

"The absence of fans stems from underestimating our opponents, with focus shifting to clubs like Ahly, Zamalek, the Egyptian Football Association, and the youth national teams, neglecting the senior team's matches," stated Hossam Hassan.

Debut of young players

The Botswana draw marked the international debut of Ahly's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir and Ceramica Cleopatra winger Mahmoud Abdel Hafiz Zalaka.

"We have four exceptional goalkeepers, and I had hoped to provide an opportunity for the trio of Mostafa Shobeir, Mohamed Awad, and El Mahdi Soliman to participate," he added.

"I believe games for Ahly could give Shobeir a chance, while Awad has shown promising performances with Zamalek," commented Hassan.

"I had planned to bring Awad on as a substitute in the second half if we achieved a positive result," added the Egypt national team coach.

Egypt don’t have any official matches scheduled until March 2026 when they face Ethiopia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

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