Egypt national team coach Hossam Hassan has excluded veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy from the squad for the September and October international window. Hassan confirmed the decision was purely for technical reasons and unrelated to the 37-year-old's current injury.
The coach stated: "The injury has nothing to do with his exclusion." He added that El-Shenawy had previously been finished at club level before regaining his form through the national team. The comments came ahead of Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifier against Angola, with the Pharaohs sitting second in their World Cup qualifying group with five points from three games.
Mixed Reactions
Egyptian Football Association president Hany Abo Rida defended El-Shenawy, calling him a "loyal son" and praising his achievements with Al Ahly and the national team. In contrast, former star Ahmed Hossam Mido launched a fierce criticism of Hassan's remarks, labelling them narcissistic and damaging to the national team's spirit, while also accusing the coach of belittling Al Ahly's medical staff.
Background of the Tension
The roots of the dispute trace back to El-Shenawy's last-minute exclusion from the Iran match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where the lineup was changed after the team bus arrived at the stadium. El-Shenawy continues his rehabilitation with Al Ahly, while the national team prepares to face Angola on Friday at Cairo International Stadium, a match featured on our fixtures page.
The team then travels to Juba to face South Sudan on Tuesday 29 September, before hosting South Africa in a friendly on 4 October at Cairo Stadium. Group Two of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers also includes Malawi. The squad is dealing with several absentees alongside El-Shenawy, including Mahmoud Trézéguet and Yasser Ibrahim, with updates available on our injuries list.
Hassan concluded by stating he could have excluded El-Shenawy due to injury but made his technical choice regardless, asserting that no two coaches would select the same 24 players from Egypt's available pool.
Background and full detail: kingfut.com
