“We fear no one”: Hossam Hassan sends strong message ahead of Spain clash

Africa 30 March 2026 at 14:55

Khaled Hegazy

News Editor

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan expressed confidence ahead of the Pharaohs’ high-profile friendly against Spain on Tuesday 1 April 1 as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The match is set to kick off at 19:00 GMT at the RCDE Stadium, home of Espanyol.

Confidence despite Spain’s global status

Speaking during the pre-match press conference on Monday 31 March Hassan acknowledged Spain’s position as the world’s top-ranked team but insisted that reputation alone will not decide the outcome.

“I know Spain are ranked number one in the world but football doesn’t work like that.. Egypt has always had strong football quality and our World Cup history proves that. We’ve participated four times and in 1990 we achieved a positive result against the Netherlands” Hassan said.

He added that securing win or even draw against Spain would be a significant achievement for his side underlining the unpredictable nature of football.

Ambition and belief in Egypt’s squad

Hassan highlighted his ambition since taking charge of the national team emphasizing that he fully understood the challenge of facing one of the tournament favorites.

“I came into this job knowing I would face the world’s top-ranked team and a strong contender for the World Cup.. But Egypt is also a big team. We’ve won multiple Africa Cup of Nations titles and we have top players abroad” he explained.

The Egypt boss pointed to key figures such as Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed and Mohamed Abdelmonem while also noting the recent addition of Haitham Hassan to the squad.

Tough schedule and valuable preparation

Hassan also revealed that Egypt had considered canceling the Spain fixture due to the tight schedule following their recent match against Saudi Arabia citing travel demands and limited recovery time.

“It wasn’t easy to play Saudi Arabia and then travel for Spain but we decided to go ahead because these matches are important for our development” he said.

He stressed that the team will once again experiment tactically, just as they did in the Saudi Arabia game which ended with a morale-boosting result.

Building towards the World Cup

The former Egypt striker made it clear that these friendlies are part of a broader plan to elevate the team’s level ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“The win against Saudi Arabia was important psychologically.. I’m preparing the players to compete at a different level in the World Cup. That’s why we chose strong opponents like Saudi Arabia & Spain” Hassan noted.

He concluded by expressing optimism about the upcoming clash stating that Egypt aims to deliver impressive performance and gain valuable experience against elite opposition.

Related teams and leagues

Egypt

Spain

World Cup