Lead:
The departure of Hesham Hassan as technical director of Egypt's national football team and the appointment of Ali Maher as his replacement has triggered competing narratives among media commentators about where responsibility lies for recent dysfunction within the squad. Columnists have also zeroed in on captain Mohamed Salah's role in the transition, with some defending him against online criticism and others suggesting his behavior contributed to Hassan's exit.
Voices & Positions:
In Sada, commentator Muhammad Faris argues that Mohamed Salah suffered most from Hassan's departure, since Hassan had reordered the squad's hierarchy by making the technical director — not the star player — the central figure in team operations. Faris cautioned against treating criticism of Salah as evidence of a crisis with the captain, noting that past conduct demonstrated appreciation for his standing as a major player.
In Elbalad, commentator Ibrahim Fayeq criticized the handling of assistant coach Bassem Ali's removal from Ali Maher's technical staff, noting that Ali's name appeared officially in the lineup before he was told mid-camp that his lack of a Category A coaching license disqualified him — a procedure Fayeq called dispiriting.
In Elbalad, Ahmad Shubair urged Al Ahly's management to reduce spending on transfers and instead develop young talent from the club's academy, arguing that investment in youth players could save the institution substantial sums over coming years.
In Sada, former player Ahmad Bilal faulted Hassan for failing to manage squad members after the World Cup achievement, saying Hassan should have contained the players rather than competing for credit over the tournament's success.
In Elbalad, Ibrahim Fayeq predicted Hassan would return to coach Egypt's national team in future, calling his tenure a defining chapter in the squad's history and suggesting public demand for his reinstatement would eventually emerge.
In Elbalad, Khalid Al Ghandour attacked contradictions in media coverage of Ali Maher's player selections, criticizing the inclusion of Mahmoud Hamdi Al Wensh, Muhammad Shehata, and Nasser Maher while noting puzzlement at the retention of Mohamed Al Shenawy and Muhammad Hani against the exclusion of Imamuel Ashor and Yasser Ibrahim.
In Elbalad, Ahmad Osama described Egypt's squad as caught in a "Bermuda triangle" of responsibility, asserting that union president Hani Abu Redah and captain Salah cannot be removed from accountability alongside Hassan for recent turbulence.
In Elbalad, captain Magdi Abdel Ghani defended Salah against online critics of a photograph taken after his recent goal celebration, calling the image natural and dismissing scrutiny of his display of emotion over the win.
Tension & Convergence:
Columnists agree that Hassan's exit reflects genuine dysfunction within the national team structure and that multiple parties — Hassan, union leadership, and Salah — share responsibility for recent instability. They diverge sharply on Salah's culpability: defenders like Faris and Abdel Ghani reject suggestions he bears blame, while Bilal and Osama implicate his conduct and standing as contributing factors. On Hassan himself, Fayeq offers the sole prediction of eventual rehabilitation, while Bilal cites concrete failures in player management post-World Cup.
Editorial Takeaway:
The dominant voice holds that Egypt's national team dysfunction reflects systemic failure across multiple layers of governance rather than single-actor error, though columnists assign weight to those layers differently.