Hassan, 41, is widely appreciated by Masri fans for turning around the team’s fortunes.

He took charge of the Port Said-based club while they were struggling at the bottom last season, lifting them up for a ninth-place finish in the league.

Masri, who struggled in the Egyptian League during the past few seasons, are being tipped for big things this season following a convincing opener at Ittihad’s expense.

“I’m reaping the rewards of my hard work since taking charge of Masri,” the former Egypt striker told the post-match press conference.

A hat-trick by forward Mohamed Al-Gabbas in the last ten minutes gave Masri a thrilling win over Ittihad away from home.

“Our aim was to win, but we didn’t expect to win by that wide margin. I’m very happy that Masri opened their league campaign in such way.”

Still Early

Ittihad coach Taha Basri called on the team’s fans to be patient despite a disappointing start.

“Yes we did make mistakes, but it is still too early to judge our performances. We will work on improving our displays.”

“I hope that the fans will support us to approach our next game against Zamalek in the best possible way.”