Tension gripped the Egypt national team's accommodation after an altercation broke out between team manager Ibrahim Hassan and a number of security personnel, triggered by a widely circulated incident involving the handling of a child who had attempted to approach the Egyptian squad's players to take a commemorative photograph.
According to eyewitness accounts from the scene, the child managed to pass through the security barrier and reach the team delegation's vicinity before security personnel intervened to remove him, amid accusations that force was used in doing so — a development that sparked the anger of Ibrahim Hassan.
Images from the scene showed a gathering of several members of the team delegation and security personnel, with Ibrahim Hassan appearing to engage in a heated argument with one of the security officers, while those present attempted to contain the situation and prevent it from escalating into a physical confrontation.
Sources indicate that the altercation nearly descended into a fistfight before bystanders stepped in to defuse the crisis and restore calm inside the hotel.
No official comment had been issued by the Egyptian Football Association or the team delegation regarding the circumstances of the incident at the time of publication, while the episode drew widespread sympathy for the child, who was taken aback by what had happened, alongside praise for the conduct of team manager Ibrahim Hassan.