Hossam Hassan: We Respect the New Zealand Team and Are Ready to Face Them

Hossam Hassan, the head coach of the Egyptian national team, confirmed that the Pharaohs are ready to play against New Zealand in the 2026 World Cup.

The Egyptian national team will face New Zealand early tomorrow, Monday, in the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Hossam Hassan said in statements at the press conference: "I greatly appreciate the praise that the Egyptian national team received from the head coach of the Belgian national team. The coaching staff always strives to benefit from every match by analyzing the positives and negatives and continuously working on improving performance."

The coach of the Egyptian national team explained that the start against New Zealand gave the technical staff a clear understanding of the players' capabilities. He said, "We studied the opponent well by watching a large number of their official and friendly matches. The New Zealand team is characterized by a style similar to European football in terms of physical strength and tactical discipline."

He continued: "Focus will be the decisive factor in the match. I have held several sessions with the players over the past few days to prepare for the encounter in the usual manner, and I am certainly fully confident in the players' ability to deliver the expected performance."

He concluded his remarks by saying: "The New Zealand team is one of the strong teams that deserve respect, and tomorrow's match is one of the most important for the team in the tournament. The goal is to achieve victory while maintaining a balance between offensive and defensive aspects, and to prepare the team in the best possible way to continue its journey in the World Cup."