07/04/26 08:17:00
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07/04 08:15 CDT Egypt's coach waved Palestinian flag after winning World Cup
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Egypt's coach waved Palestinian flag after winning World Cup game
By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) --- Egypt coach Hossam Hassan waved a Palestinian flag on the
pitch after his team's victory over Australia in the World Cup, saying he was
dedicating it to both Egyptians and Palestinians.
"My heart and soul are with them," he said in an emotional post-game interview.
Egypt won its debut in the elimination round of the World Cup by beating
Australia 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in the round of 32 Friday.
The victory comes in Egypt's fourth World Cup.
A video of Hassan on social media shows him walking around the pitch holding
the flag as people chanted "free free Palestine." The video went viral.
The fate of more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, largely displaced and
living amid ruins, remains uncertain after a war that began when Hamas attacked
Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel's retaliation has killed a total of 73,066
Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The war has sparked pro-Palestinian protests around the world, with some
athletes also expressing solidarity.
Earlier this year Lamine Yamal waved a Palestinian flag during celebrations of
the Spanish league title. The act caused backlash from Israel's defense
minister, who criticized Barcelona's teenage star and said his action "incites
hate."
Hassan is not known to be religious or connected to any political group. In the
1980s and 1990s he was adored by the youth, a street footballer who played in
the slums.
On Friday he said he was dedicating the game to the "good and noble" Egyptian
and Palestinian people.
It wasn't immediately clear if FIFA would seek to take any action, and it
didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously sought
to restrict what it sees as political statements on the pitch.
During the Qatar World Cup in 2022, some European teams were prevented from
wearing armbands in support of the "One Love" campaign, an international
anti-discrimination initiative.
During Iran's matches in this World Cup, some Iranian Americans in Los Angeles
sought to display the country's pre-revolutionary flag and block a FIFA ban on
that flag. They lost in court, and the ban was upheld.
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