Gaza Herald _Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan reaffirmed his support for the Palestinian people days after dedicating his team’s historic World Cup knockout victory to Palestine and raising the Palestinian flag following the match.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of Egypt’s Round of 16 clash with Argentina, Hassan briefly shifted away from football to deliver an emotional statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“If there is anyone in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they are not human—whether they are Arab, European, or American,” Hassan said.
The coach spoke for more than four minutes about the suffering of Palestinians, drawing applause from many of the journalists in attendance.
His remarks came as Israeli attacks continued across Gaza despite an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 73,066 Palestinians, including 20,179 children, have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023. The reported death toll also includes 463 people who died from starvation, among them 157 children. More than 2 million Palestinians remain displaced across the Strip, living in shelters or among the ruins of destroyed neighborhoods.
Asked what motivated him to wave the Palestinian flag after Egypt’s penalty shootout victory over Australia, Hassan described the gesture as “simply a human reaction.”
“Everywhere in the world, including Europe and America, if someone hurts an animal, people defend animal rights and the whole world reacts,” he said. “Yet it has become normal to hear that two or three thousand people die in a single day because of a missile.”
The war has sparked widespread pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, with several athletes—including Spain international Lamine Yamal—publicly expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
Although much of the press conference focused on Egypt’s upcoming match against Argentina and the challenge of facing Lionel Messi, Hassan repeatedly returned to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“Regardless of religion, I am a human being before I am Arab or anything else,” he said. “My message through football is simple: Just as FIFA calls for mutual respect, I hope there will also be respect for people’s right to live.”
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s match, Hassan said reaching the quarterfinals would mark another milestone, but insisted his team’s ambitions extend even further.
“My dreams have no limits. My ambitions have no limits,” he said. “I promise we will do everything we can to meet our fans’ expectations. We are not underdogs. We are a great nation in every sense. We are a civilization that is more than 7,000 years old.”
While acknowledging that Argentina enters the match as the favorite, Hassan said his players have no reason to fear the defending world champions.
“We know we are facing the World Cup holders and one of the greatest players in history, but we are not afraid,” he said. “Our responsibility is to focus on ourselves and what we can achieve on the field. We carry the hopes of Egypt, the Arab world, and Africa, and we are proud to represent them.”
