Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has set his sights firmly on Africa Cup of Nations glory in Morocco, declaring that the Pharaohs have both the mentality and experience to reclaim the continental crown for the first time since 2010.
Speaking in an interview with CAFonline.com, the Egyptian legend framed AFCON 2025 not just as another tournament, but as a moment of reckoning for a nation that has fallen agonisingly short in recent years despite its rich pedigree.
Hassan, a three-time AFCON winner as a player in 1998, 2006 and 2008, believes his own history of success is central to Egypt’s renewed push for continental dominance.
Everyone in the Egyptian national team already has a winning mentality,” he said. “We will do everything possible to reach the top and lift the trophy again this year. Achieving that requires tremendous effort from every member of the team.
Egypt remain the most successful nation in AFCON history with seven titles, but the last of those triumphs came 15 years ago. Since then, narrow final defeats in 2017 and 2021 have only deepened the sense of unfinished business surrounding the national team.
For Hassan, those near-misses are not scars to fear, but fuel to drive the current generation.
“We always play to win,” he stressed. “The Egyptian squad has top players at both club and national level, and they are highly motivated for this championship.”
For a nation accustomed to winning, AFCON 2025 represents more than a challenge ; it is a chance to reclaim what Egypt believe is rightfully theirs as the first game between host nation Morocco and Comoros tees off
