Hossam Hassan: Egypt Has 120 Million People, National Team Depends on No One Player

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan said Mohamed Salah’s absence from the match against South Sudan was due to “personal” circumstances.

Hassan did not elaborate on those circumstances, but stressed that the Egyptian national team does not depend on a single player.

Pointing to Egypt’s population, which he put at 120 million, Hassan said the team “does not depend on anyone.”

His comments paired an explanation for Salah’s absence with a broader message: the national side must not be defined by the availability of one individual.