Egypt’s national team has been pulled into an off-field storm after the trip to South Sudan ended with more questions than answers. What should have been a routine qualifying assignment quickly turned into a heated administrative dispute, and now the Egyptian Football Association says a decisive stance is coming.
Behind-the-scenes tension after the South Sudan trip
Khaled El-Darandaly, vice-president of the Egyptian Football Association and head of the delegation, opened up about the tensions surrounding Egypt’s 5-0 win over South Sudan in the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Speaking to On Sport, he described the issue as less about direct confrontation and more about a serious organisational breakdown.
According to El-Darandaly, the technical staff and players arrived late to the airport, which created friction before the team even boarded the plane. He said protocol required the technical staff to greet him as delegation head before departure, but that did not happen as planned.
A flight marked by distance, not unity
El-Darandaly also said he received what he described as an implied message from Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan, directed at the Football Association. He added that the atmosphere during the flight was uneasy, with both sides keeping to themselves throughout the journey.
“There was no direct overstepping by Egypt’s technical staff, but there was an administrative and organisational error,” El-Darandaly explained. “We spent the entire flight with each party heading in a different direction.”
He stressed that his priority was protecting Egypt’s image and avoiding any unnecessary escalation while abroad. That meant, in his words, keeping the situation calm and ensuring that the focus remained on the national team’s mission rather than internal disputes.
Why the row matters now
The vice-president said the matter did not end once the team landed. He claimed he separated the players’ dining area from the space reserved for the Football Association and guests, and said there was no conversation between him and the technical staff after the South Sudan match.
He also insisted that Mohamed Salah had no direct contact with either FA president Hany Abo Rida or himself regarding the issue. That detail matters because it reinforces how broadly the tension appears to have spread within the delegation.
At the heart of the dispute is not only behaviour, but authority. El-Darandaly made it clear that the role of delegation head carries symbolic and practical importance, especially when representing Egypt in an international setting.
“Heading the delegation is a matter that represents Egypt’s name,” El-Darandaly said, underlining how seriously the association views the matter.
Decisive stance expected on the technical staff
Asked whether the technical staff could face consequences, El-Darandaly did not suggest an immediate departure was on the table. Still, he confirmed that a firm response is expected after what he described as unusual incidents witnessed by the delegation.
“There is no talk of the technical staff leaving at present, but there will certainly be a decisive stand because of this situation,” he said. He added that some statements from the coaching staff have often been ignored in the past despite being, in his view, poorly judged.
That points to a larger concern inside the federation: whether repeated flashpoints are starting to affect the national team’s internal discipline. Even with results on the pitch, the off-field management now looks like a storyline the federation can no longer brush aside.
Meeting planned to clear the air
El-Darandaly said he will meet Hany Abo Rida and the technical staff to settle the disagreement and clarify the disputed points. He insisted the board is not looking for a fight, noting that all members attended the national team’s training sessions.
However, he took issue with reports being published about the team’s arrival and return without mentioning the delegation head’s name. In his view, that omission is more than a formality; it is a breach of protocol that creates avoidable problems.
On the separate controversy involving the federation’s statement in support of goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, El-Darandaly said the message was entirely normal and had been approved by all board members without exception. Press reports had claimed the statement angered Hossam Hassan after his criticism of the keeper, but the vice-president dismissed any suggestion of division on the board’s side.
What comes next for Egypt
Egypt now turn their attention to South Africa, whom they face tomorrow, Sunday, at Cairo Stadium in a closing friendly for the current international break. The timing of the match means the team enters another fixture with the spotlight not only on performance, but also on the handling of the crisis behind the scenes.
For now, the football itself remains secondary to the bigger question: how will Egypt’s leadership manage the fallout between the federation and the technical staff? The answer could shape the mood around the national team well beyond this international window.
One thing is certain: the federation wants this issue contained quickly, but the language from its vice-president suggests the next response will be anything but casual.
