Hossam Hassan Hassanin Hassan is an Egyptian professional football manager and former player who played as a striker. [1]He is currently the head coach of the Egypt national team, and has been affectionately nicknamed "Egypt's General".[2] A prolific goal scorer, he is Egypt's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 177 appearances.[3][4] His twin brother Ibrahim also played professional football, and they shared teams for most of their extensive careers.[5][6]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hossam Hassan Hassanin Hassan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 August 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Helwan, Cairo, Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Egypt (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1984 | Al Ahly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1990 | Al Ahly | 78 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | PAOK | 19 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 8 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1999 | Al Ahly | 153 | (78) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Al Ain | 10 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Zamalek | 61 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Al Masry | 47 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Tersana | 21 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Al Ittihad Alexandria | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 402 | (179) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–2006 | Egypt | 177 | (69) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Al Masry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Telecom Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Zamalek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Ismaily | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Al Masry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Misr Lel Makkasa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Jordan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Zamalek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Al Ittihad Alexandria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Al Masry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Pyramids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Smouha | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Al Ittihad Alexandria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Al Masry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Al Masry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Modern Future | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hassan represented the national team in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He is regarded as one of the best players in African football history and is the 15th most capped player in men's international football. A prolific scorer, he is the 2nd in the list of the Egyptian Premier League's all-time top scorers. Hassan is considered one of Egypt's best players of all time.[7]
Club career
editOther than two spells abroad in Switzerland and Greece, Hassan played mainly for his hometown's and Africa's most decorated team, Al Ahly SC of Cairo, for which he made his first-team debut aged 18; he played his last match for the club sixteen years later. He ranked first in the club in several categories and won a total of 25 titles with it, including 11 leagues; he was one of only two players ever to find the net in derbies for each team. During his spell at Neuchâtel Xamax in Switzerland he is best remembered for scoring four goals in one game against Celtic in the 1991–92 UEFA Cup. In 2000, already at 34, Hassan left Al-Ahly, going to represent Al Ain SCC.
In the summer of 2000, Hassan moved to Zamalek, winning three Egyptian Premier League titles (in 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2003–04) with the Cairo giants, in addition to the 2002 Egypt Cup and the Egyptian Super Cup in 2001 and 2002. At the continental level, Hassan won with Zamalek the 2002 CAF Champions League, 2003 CAF Super Cup, 2003 UAFA Club Cup and the 2003 Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup. He scored four goals for his team in the Cairo derby, and scored 50 goals for Zamalek in all competitions. Afterwards, he moved in 2004 to Al Masry SC, Tersana and Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary respectively, while continuing to score at length. He retired aged almost 42, having played most of the time with his sibling Ibrahim, including abroad.
International career
editEarly in his career, Hassan, 20, was part of the team that won the 1986 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, while not in the starting lineup, he won his first African trophy with his country. He appeared for the nation at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, helping the Pharaohs achieve two draws while narrowly going down 0–1 to England. Ibrahim was also an undisputed starter. In 1992, Hassan won with Egypt the 1992 FIFA Arab Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against Saudi Arabia. Hassan also represented the Pharaohs in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He finished as the joint-top scorer of the 1998 edition in Burkina Faso with 7 goals, leading Egypt to their fourth title, including a memorable hat-trick against Zambia and a crucial brace in the semi-finals against Burkina Faso.[8]
In 2000, Hassan led Egypt at the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing as the team's top scorer with 3 goals. He scored against Zambia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso, helping the Pharaohs top their group before suffering a quarter-final exit. In 2001, FIFA officially recognized Hassan as the world's most-capped international male player at the time. He was honored by FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Cairo with the "World Dean of Players" armband. Aged 40, Hassan was captain of the national team at the 2006 African Cup of Nations, and played three times and netted once for the hosts, winning the last of his three continental competitions. Hassan is Egypt's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 69 goals in 177 international appearances between 1985 and 2006.[9]
Coaching career
editOn 29 February 2008, Hassan was appointed both general manager and head coach of his former club Al Masry.[10] He was later dismissed following a 2–0 defeat to JSM Béjaïa in the 2008 North African Cup Winners Cup, during which he assaulted the fourth official and made offensive gestures toward the Algerian crowd.[11] In 2009, he was appointed head coach of Itesalat.[12] After the sacking of French coach Henri Michel, he was named manager of former side Zamalek, on 30 November 2009.[13] his first match in charge was on 3 December, which ended in a controversial 1–2 away loss against Haras El Hodood, as opposing player Ahmed Eid Abdel Malek was not supposed to play in that match, having been sent off the previous one (Abdel Malek ended up playing, and scored Hodood's first goal).
Hassan's first win at Zamalek came on the 12th, against Al-Masry (3–0). In twelve matches he took the club from 14th place to second, only losing one game and drawing another. He later had short spells with Ismaily, Al Masry and Misr Lel Makkasa. He then became the head coach of Jordan, where he led the team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, including the AFC fifth round against Uzbekistan, then at the AFC–CONMEBOL play-off against Uruguay. Later on, he returned to Egypt to coach Zamalek, Al Ittihad Alexandria, then Al Masry from 2015 to 2018, where he reached the 2017 Egypt Cup Final, and semi-final of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup. Afterwards, he managed Pyramids and Smouha, before returning to coach Al Ittihad Alexandria in October 2020.[14]
Due to undisclosed reasons, he parted ways with Al-Ittihad Alexandria, then returned for the 4th time to Al-Masry on 30 May 2022.[15] After leaving the club by the end of the season, Hassan returned to Al-Masry for a 5th tenure in December 2022.[16] In May 2023, he was dismissed after insulting board members during a match against Aswan.[17] A few days following his appointment as head coach of Modern Future, Hassan was released to become the manager of the Egyptian national team in February 2024.[18]
Hassan's first major tournament with Egypt came at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he guided the team to the semi-finals.[19] He then led Egypt to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in the nation's history.[20] Egypt were eliminated in the Round of 16 by defending champions Argentina, losing 3–2 after an Egyptian disallowed goal and surrendering a two-goal lead.[21] He subsequently renewed his contract with the national team until 2030.[22]
Personal life
editHassan openly supported longtime president Hosni Mubarak during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He, along with his twin brother Ibrahim, led marches in support of Mubarak.[23] He is married to Hoda El-Gorbawi, with whom he has four children.[24] Following Egypt's win over Australia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Hassan displayed a Palestinian flag and expressed his support for the Palestinian people, calling for respect for their right to live and emphasizing that humanitarian concerns should transcend nationality, religion, or politics.[25][26][27]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of 29 March 2012
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Al Ahly | 1984–85 | Egyptian Premier League | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1985–86 | Egyptian Premier League | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | — | 24 | 9 | ||
| 1986–87 | Egyptian Premier League | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 26 | 5 | ||
| 1987–88 | Egyptian Premier League | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 20 | 11 | ||
| 1988–89 | Egyptian Premier League | 18 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 12 | ||
| 1989–90 | Egyptian Premier League | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | Egyptian Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | ||
| Total | 78 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 18 | 8 | — | 107 | 41 | |||
| PAOK | 1990–91 | Alpha Ethniki | 19 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 21 | 6 | |
| Neuchâtel Xamax | 1991–92 | Nationalliga A | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 4 | — | 11 | 7 | |
| Al Ahly | 1992–93 | Egyptian Premier League | 25 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | 37 | 17 | |
| 1993–94 | Egyptian Premier League | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 4 | ||
| 1994–95 | Egyptian Premier League | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 8 | |
| 1995–96 | Egyptian Premier League | 18 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 17 | |
| 1996–97 | Egyptian Premier League | 26 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 15 | |
| 1997–98 | Egyptian Premier League | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 9 | ||
| 1998–99 | Egyptian Premier League | 24 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 16 | |
| 1999–2000 | Egyptian Premier League | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 | |
| Total | 153 | 78 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 194 | 96 | ||
| Al Ain | 1999–2000 | UAE Football League | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 3 | ||
| Zamalek | 2000–01 | Egyptian Premier League | 16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 3 | 3[c] | 3 | 27 | 13 |
| 2001–02 | Egyptian Premier League | 21 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 13[d] | 6 | 1[e] | 1 | 38 | 26 | |
| 2002–03 | Egyptian Premier League | 15 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6[f] | 1 | 26 | 12 | |
| 2003–04 | Egyptian Premier League | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 4 | |
| Total | 61 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 23 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 110 | 57 | ||
| Al Masry | 2004–05 | Egyptian Premier League | 25 | 10 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 31 | 13 | ||
| 2005–06 | Egyptian Premier League | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 5 | |||
| Total | 47 | 15 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 53 | 18 | ||||
| Tersana | 2006–07 | Egyptian Premier League | 20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 6 | ||
| Al Ittihad Alexandria | 2007–08 | Egyptian Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 401 | 179 | 34 | 13 | 62 | 31 | 32 | 10 | 531 | 238 | ||
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Cup
- ↑ Appearances in African Cup Winners' Cup
- ↑ One appearance in CAF Super Cup, two appearances and three goals in Arab Cup Winners' Cup
- ↑ Appearances in CAF Champions League
- ↑ Appearance in Egyptian Super Cup
- ↑ Appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup
- 1Played in CAF Champions League, CAF Winners' Cup, CAF Super Cup and UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League.
- 2Includes other competitive competitions, including the Egyptian Super Cup, Arab Champions League, Arab Cup Winners' Cup, Arab Super Cup, Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup and Afro-Asian Cup.
International
editManagerial statistics
edit- As of match played 7 July 2026
| Team | Nat. | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Al Masry |  |
29 February 2008 | 28 December 2008 | 27 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 33.33 | |
| Telecom Egypt | 5 March 2009 | 29 October 2009 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 33.33 | ||
| Zamalek | 30 November 2009 | 13 July 2011 | 57 | 33 | 16 | 8 | 57.89 | ||
| Ismaily | 9 August 2011 | 28 September 2011 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 | ||
| Al Masry | 15 January 2012 | 1 February 2012 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 | ||
| Misr Lel Makkasa[29] | 26 February 2013 | 28 May 2013 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10.00 | ||
| Jordan |  |
25 June 2013 | 30 July 2014 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 45.00 | |
| Zamalek | |
30 July 2014 | 2 October 2014 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16.67 | |
| Al Ittihad | 27 October 2014 | 24 July 2015 | 35 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 34.29 | ||
| Al Masry | 25 July 2015 | 28 October 2018 | 140 | 68 | 41 | 31 | 48.57 | ||
| Pyramids | 29 October 2018 | 25 January 2019 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 54.55 | ||
| Smouha | 22 February 2019 | 12 January 2020 | 25 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 36.00 | ||
| Al Ittihad | 20 October 2020 | 19 March 2022 | 52 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 32.69 | ||
| Al Masry | 30 May 2022 | 31 August 2022 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 40.00 | ||
| Al Masry | 21 December 2022 | 6 May 2023 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 36.36 | ||
| Egypt | 6 February 2024 | Present | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 61.11 | ||
| Career Total | 474 | 206 | 156 | 112 | 43.46 | ||||
Honours
editClub
editAl Ahly
- Egyptian Premier League: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
- Egypt Cup: 1984–85, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1995–96
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1987
- African Cup Winners' Cup: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1993
- Arab Club Champions Cup: 1996
- Arab Cup Winners' Cup: 1994–95
- Arab Super Cup: 1997, 1998
- Afro-Asian Cup: 1988
Al Ain
Zamalek
International
editIndividual
edit- Confederation of African Football: Best African Footballer in the last 50 years
- Egyptian Premier League Top Scorer: 1998–99, 2001–02
- African Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 1998 (shared with Benni McCarthy)
- Al-Ahram Hebdo Award: Player of the Year in Egypt 1998, 1999, 2001
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2026™ – Squad List: Egypt (EGY)" (PDF). FIFA. 2 June 2026. p. 17. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ "تفاصيل جديدة في مبادرة الصلح بين حسام حسن وإمام عاشور للعودة للمنتخب" [New details regarding the reconciliation initiative between Hossam Hassan and Emam Ashour for a return to the national team]. Veto Gate (in Arabic). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ More goals than caps (FIFA.com)
- ↑ "Hossam Hassan – Century of International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ↑ Hassan, Egypt's iron man; FIFA.com
- ↑ The game's terrible twins; FIFA.com, 12 February 2010
- ↑ The 50 Greatest African Players of All Time
- ↑ Salem, Nadia. "Gone from the cup but not forgotten: Hossam Hassan, Egypt's national football coach". Mada Masr. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Abbas, Farah (4 July 2026). "Who Is Hossam Hassan, the Man Leading Egypt's World Cup Dream? | Egyptian Streets". Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Hossam Hassan appointed as El-Masri Coach". Yallakora. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
- ↑ "L'opinion publique égyptienne indignée" (in French). L'Expression. 29 December 2008.
- ↑ "Hossam Hassan resigns as Telecom manager". Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
- ↑ Hassan replaces Zamalek's Michel Deprecated link archived 28 July 2012 at archive.today
- ↑ "Ittihad of Alexandria re-appoint Hossam Hassan as manager". kingfut.com. 13 October 2020.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL: Al Masry re-appoint Hossam Hassan as head coach for fourth time". KingFut. 30 May 2022.
- ↑ "Hossam Hassan appointed as Masry's new coach for 5th stint". Al-Ahram. 22 December 2022.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL: Hossam Hassan sacked as Al Masry head coach". KingFut. 6 May 2023.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL: Hossam Hassan named new Egypt manager". KingFut. 6 February 2024.
- ↑ "Why Egypt deserve their place in the AFCON 2025 semi-finals". CAF Online. 13 January 2026.
- ↑ "World Cup 2026: The Pharaohs make history with first-ever knockout stage qualification". Daily News Egypt. 27 June 2026.
- ↑ Ogden, Mark (7 July 2026). "Egypt boss bemoans 'injustice' after loss to Argentina at World Cup". ESPN.
- ↑ "Egypt renew Hossam Hassan's contract after historic World Cup run". Ahram Online. 9 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pro-Mubarak celebrities blacklisted by Egyptians". Arab News. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ↑ Ben Gamra, Farah (3 July 2026). "Inside the Personal Lives of Egypt's Twin Coaches, Ibrahim Hassan and Hossam Hassan- Wife, Children, Siblings, Parents & More". Yahoo! Sports.
- ↑ Bosher, Luke (7 July 2026). "Egypt head coach urges soccer to do more for Palestinian cause at World Cup press conference". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Robson, James (6 July 2026). "At the World Cup, Egypt coach says anyone who doesn't feel for Palestinian people is 'not human'". AP News. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Gleeson, Mark (6 July 2026). "Egypt coach's Palestine appeal thrusts World Cup back into political spotlight". Reuters.
- ↑ Mamrud, Roberto. "Hossam Hassan - Century of International Appearances". Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ↑ تقرير .. حسام حسن يفشل فى الفوز للمباراة الـ 11 على التوالي. يلاكورة.كوم (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 July 2018.
External links
edit
- Hossam Hassan – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Hossam Hassan – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Hussam Hassan Egyptian legend (in Arabic) (archived 16 November 2011)
- Hossam Hassan at National-Football-Teams.com
- All about Egyptian players
- Hossam Hassan, World's most capped player; at AngelFire
- Hossam Hassan at RSSSF
