Our national team striker, Ayman Hussein, confirmed that the players feel sad for not securing direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup, emphasizing that the goal now is to start a new page and achieve qualification through the playoff.

Hussein said in a press statement: "We feel sad for not qualifying directly, and we apologize to our loyal fans on behalf of all the players. We will do our utmost to compensate them."

He added: "We congratulate the Jordanian team for being the first Arab team to qualify for the World Cup, and we will show this appreciation through a strong match against them."

He continued: "Despite everything, we entered the match against Jordan to win and regain confidence before heading into the playoff. We have hope and determination to make our fans happy, and our goal is to qualify in October."

Hussein stressed the importance of unity in the upcoming phase, saying: "We ask the media and fans to stand with us as one during this important stage."

He pointed out that the team made some mistakes during the qualifiers, adding: "We need to correct the mistakes and work with greater focus in the coming period."