The Egyptian Football Association has completed all legal procedures related to the appeal submitted to FIFA against the sanctions imposed on the twin brothers Hossam Hassan, the national coach of Egypt, and Ibrahim Hassan, the team manager, as well as Mustafa Ziko, a player for the Pharaohs and Pyramids FC.
This initiative comes after intensive efforts by the association to mitigate the repercussions of the suspensions resulting from the events that occurred during the match between Egypt and Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, which ended in a 3-2 defeat for the Pharaohs.
Reports indicate that the legal procedures for the appeal take a specific period for review and decision by the relevant committees at FIFA, which reduces the chances of the trio participating in the national team's matches against Malawi in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during the international break scheduled for next November.
FIFA's decision includes suspending Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan for 3 matches, while Mustafa Ziko has been suspended for 5 matches. Consequently, the twins will miss the two matches against Malawi in November, as well as the Pharaohs' first match in March 2027 against Angola in the AFCON qualifiers. Ziko's absence will extend until June, meaning he will miss the remaining four matches in the African qualifiers, plus one additional match.
Tarek Soliman, the general coach of the Egyptian national team, will take charge of the Pharaohs' bench in the upcoming match against Malawi, following FIFA's decision to suspend head coach Hossam Hassan and his brother Ibrahim Hassan for three official matches.
Tarek Soliman holds a B coaching license and is currently undergoing the required courses. Although the Confederation of African Football (CAF) mandates that the head coach must have an A license, CAF regulations allow a general coach with a B license to temporarily take charge of coaching and managing matches in cases of suspension without violating the established rules.
The Egyptian national team, led by Hossam Hassan, is preparing to face Malawi on November 13 and 17 in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The two matches will take place after the implementation of winter time in Egypt, which begins on Friday, October 30.
Match Schedule for Egypt vs. Malawi in AFCON Qualifiers
Under winter time, the third-round match between Egypt and Malawi will kick off at 9 PM Cairo time at Cairo Stadium.
The fourth-round match between the two teams in Malawi will start at 3 PM Cairo time, as the time in Egypt will match that of Malawi after the implementation of winter time, meaning there will be no time difference between the two countries.
