Egypt's next coach is likely to be picked from the African Cup of Nations semi-finalists, an Egyptian Football Association (EFA) board member said on Tuesday.

"The national team's new coach will be one of the four coaches in the semifinals. The association has already made a 40-man list of candidates but we want to trim to six or seven," Magdy El-Mitnawi said in a television interview..

Egypt, record winners of the Nations Cup with seven titles under their belt, dismissed coach Shawky Gharib after they set an unwanted record of failing to qualify for the biennial tournament three times in a row.

"Senegal coach Alan Giresse is one of the favorites but the final decision won't be made before the end of the African Cup," El-Mitnawi added.

The 62-year-old French tactician, who started his coaching career with Toulouse in 1995, has been leading African teams since 2006. He previously managed Gabon and Mali.

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