Speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, Abu Rida said Egypt’s chances of reaching the final were undermined by fatigue and a congested schedule ahead of their match against Senegal.
“I thank Hossam Hassan for the performance. Were it not for fatigue and the limited time before facing Senegal, Egypt could have reached the final,” he said.
Abu Rida highlighted the unity within the squad, noting that 26 of the 28 players were involved during the group stage, and described the head coach’s decisions as “very courageous."
He said he had worked closely with Hassan and his brother Ibrahim Hassan since their playing days, praising their “patriotism and dedication” and stressing that the national team is currently being managed with a “very high level of maturity”.
“We have concluded the Africa Cup of Nations, and I thank the technical staff led by Hossam Hassan for working at the highest administrative level, as well as everyone involved in preparing the camp,” Abu Rida said.
Turning to upcoming fixtures, he confirmed that preparations were underway for the World Cup training camp, with Egypt set to face Saudi Arabia and Spain during the March international break, before playing Brazil in a friendly match in June. He added that another international fixture was still under consideration.
Qatar will host a football festival in Doha from 26 to 31 March, featuring six national teams: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Spain, Argentina, and Serbia. During the festival, Egypt will face Saudi Arabia on 26 March at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, before meeting Spain on 30 March at Lusail Stadium.
Egypt have been drawn in Group G of the World Cup in North America alongside Iran and New Zealand. They will open their group campaign against Belgium on 15 June, before facing New Zealand on 22 June and Iran on 27 June.
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