Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan (Photo: EFA)
The Pharaohs are set to face Mauritania at Cairo Stadium on Friday in the Nations Cup qualifiers, followed by another encounter in Nouakchott four days later.
Currently, the Egyptian national team leads Group C with a maximum six points, with Mauritania and Cape Verde trailing by three points, while Botswana sit at the bottom of the group without a point.
"Following the draw, many reports implied that the Pharaohs' mission in the Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers would be easy," Hossam Hassan told the pre-match news conference on Thursday.
"Conversely, the same reports depicted the draws of Egyptian clubs in the interclub competitions as challenging, despite them being considered easier than the national team's fixtures."
"Mauritania are a strong team that has achieved notable results against heavyweight opponents on the continent. I have advised my players to exercise caution during our two upcoming games against them."
Hassan highlighted ongoing efforts to rejuvenate the national team's squad, underlining that national team coaches should not encounter selection issues.
He stressed the importance of recognizing positive aspects such as the introduction of new players to ensure the team's continuity.
"We have showcased convincing performances even in the absence of key players like Mostafa Mohamed, Mohamed Abdel-Moneam, and Omar Marmoush," Hassan noted.
"As the national team coach, I have access to a pool of players across the country, so there should be no complaints about player absences." he concluded.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: