Why did Hossam Hassan decide to sacrifice Mostafa Mohamed for the "fourth goalkeeper"?

SadaNews - The choices for the final list of the Egyptian national team participating in the World Cup have sparked widespread controversy and complex tactical questions, as the 'Pharaohs' stand out as the only team among the 48 competing teams in the tournament that officially relies on 4 goalkeepers in its invited roster of 26 players.

This exceptional step comes at a time when the technical standards of other teams have dictated different balances, as Portugal, for example, sufficed with including a fourth goalkeeper only for training participation, keeping him off the official roster approved for the World Cup.

Including 4 goalkeepers was not purely a technical choice, but rather stems from genuine fears of the shadow of injuries during a tournament that extends over more than a month, especially with FIFA's strict regulations which prohibit replacing goalkeepers unless there are medical reports proving serious injuries.

The roots of these concerns go back to the "painful memory" of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, when both goalkeepers Sherif Ikrami and Ahmed El-Shenawy were injured, leaving the team to finish the tournament with just one goalkeeper, the veteran Essam El-Hadary, until the final match which the Pharaohs lost to Cameroon 2-1.

The Egyptian technical staff preferred to secure this sensitive position at the expense of the front line, which led to the surprising exclusion of Egypt's top striker in recent years, Mostafa Mohamed (who plays for French club Nantes), increasing analysts' speculations that this exclusion came as a cost for the "fourth goalkeeper" phenomenon.

The team lost balance in the lineup

Commenting on this decision, former Zamalek and Egypt star Tareq Mustafa criticized the technical staff's choices, considering that the decision harmed the technical balance of the list.

Mustafa said: "The presence of 4 goalkeepers does not represent a real addition, and the technical benefit from this number is extremely limited compared to the urgent needs of the team in other positions."

He added, "It would have been more appropriate for the technical staff to utilize this spot to reinforce the attacking line with an additional player who provides diverse solutions in various matches, or to include an attacking midfielder who offers the team greater flexibility in building attacks."

For his part, former national team goalkeeper coach Fikri Saleh expressed respect for the technical staff's vision but hesitated on the idea of a fourth goalkeeper, relying on past experiences.

Saleh said in televised remarks on the "Match" program that the goalkeeper position is one of the least prone to injuries, reminding that the team participated in the 1990 World Cup and the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations with only three goalkeepers without crises.

Despite praising the selected names (Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El-Mahdi Suleiman, Mohamed Alaa), Saleh pointed out a controversial point regarding the fourth goalkeeper, saying: "If I had a say in the change, I would have preferred to include Ahmed El-Shenawy after his impressive season with Pyramids and his international experience, instead of Mohamed Alaa who lacks the same international record, but in the end, the decisions of the technical staff who manage matters according to scenarios and calculations that are not always apparent to the public must be respected."

The "Pharaohs" are preparing for their fourth appearance in World Cup history, in a tournament jointly organized by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The draw placed the Egyptian national team in Group Seven, which includes the teams of Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand.

The final list of Egypt's national team for the World Cup

Goalkeeping: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El-Mahdi Suleiman, Mohamed Alaa.

Defense: Mohamed Hani, Tarek Alaa, Hamdy Fathy, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdel-Maguid, Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, Ahmed Fattouh, Karim Hafiz.

Midfield: Marwan Attia, Mohannad Lasheen, Nabil Emad "Dongha", Mahmoud Saber, Ahmed Sayed "Zizou", Imam Ashour, Mostafa Abdel-Raouf "Zico", Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet", Ibrahim Adel, Haitham Hassan, Mohamed Salah.

Attack: Omar Marmoush, Hamza Abdel Karim.

Source: Al Jazeera