Egyptian striker Ahmed "Mido" Hossam has apologised to his coach Hassan Chéhata and to all Egyptians for his misconduct during Tuesday's match against Senegal in the semi-final of the 25th African Cup of Nations (CAN) tournament.
"I apologise to Chéhata, the public and to all Egyptian football officials. I'm ready to do everything possible for the good of the team," he told the press.
Mido strongly objected the coach's decision to replace him in the 79th minute of the encounter while the two teams were drawn 1-all.
The angry striker shouted at Chéhata, disappointing the 75,000 crowd who booed at him.
"I did not use any foul words against Chéhata. All I wanted to know was why he replaced me," Mido noted.
"I don't want the team to be upset by this affair owing to the important encounter against Côte d'Ivoire in the final. All I want is to apologise to the staff and that the team should regain its concentration since what matters now is the team and winning the Africa Cup," he added.
Egypt qualified for the final after beating Senegal 2-1, while Côte d'Ivoire defeated Nigeria 1-0 to fill the second berth for Friday's final showdown.