Amidst the intense football battles characterizing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations stadiums, and while all eyes await a long struggle toward winning the title, a tactical cross-continental battle is unfolding in the shadows. In it, Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan faces his Dutch counterpart, Arne Slot, the manager of England’s Liverpool.
The Egyptian “General” did not stop at leading the Egyptian national team to victory in the opening round match against Zimbabwe; he also provided a lesson in tactics and playing styles, offering a technical critique of his Dutch counterpart and revealing what he considers a major mistake the latter is committing against Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.
Hossam Hassan disclosed the reasons for substituting Emam Ashour early in the match. The Egyptian national team had trained on how to overcome Zimbabwe in the opening game, where the players delivered a standout performance, and Salah needed only a single touch to settle the encounter.
One of the touches with which Salah decided the match was not merely a goal securing three points; it represented a rebirth for the 33-year-old star. in the decisive minute, fans did not see Salah running long distances, participating in a sprint against a younger fullback, or even dribbling past defenders as in previous eras.
What Salah did under Hossam Hassan was a direct application of the concept of utilizing limited effort with high precision—through intelligent positioning inside the penalty area, reading the ball’s trajectory before the defenders, and a single lethal touch that nested in the opponent’s net.
Hossam Hassan, who holds the title of historical top scorer and possesses the shrewdness to identify danger zones, knows that the Salah of today is no longer a “flying winger” but has transformed into a “lethal fox.” This version of the player does not need wide-open spaces; rather, he requires a small, unmarked space inside the box to decisively finish the game.
In contrast, the scene at clubs like Liverpool seems completely different, as Slot appears to ignore the rules of biology and age, insisting on utilizing Salah as a traditional right winger. This approach places a heavy physical burden on the player, whose body is no longer capable of providing the same previous efficiency in terms of defensive tracking, pressing on the flanks, and individual duels.
The logical result of this tactical reasoning is Salah appearing tired or physically exhausted in Premier League matches, while he is, in reality, merely a victim of a lack of adaptation.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
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