Ahmed Eid Abdel-Malek, the former Zamalek star, confirmed that Imam Ashour's exclusion from the national team was not for technical reasons.

He stated on the program "Box to Box" on the "etc" channel: "I cannot evaluate the experience of the Egyptian national team under the leadership of Hossam Hassan, because we did not face strong teams."

He added: "Everyone was convinced that the national team would win against Ethiopia, and this feeling reached the players, which is a big mistake. The match should have ended with a large victory of 6 or 7 goals."

He concluded: "Imam Ashour's exclusion is not for technical reasons; he is a great and influential player with Al Ahly, and the player should respond on the field, not through statements."