No date set for unveiling Egypt's new coach: EFA's spokesman
Ahmed Abd El Rasoul, , Wednesday 28 Aug 2019


The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has not set a specific date for announcing the new coach of the national football team, according to the EFA's spokesman Osama Ismail.

"Arranging the domestic league affairs is the priority for the football association at the time being, especially as time is very limited ahead of the new season kick-off," Ismail told Sada El-Balad TV channel on Wednesday.

The Pharaohs' managerial seat has been vacant since the firing of Mexican coach Javier Aguirre last month after a humiliating exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the round of 16.

Directly after his appointment last week, the EFA interim head Amr El-Ganainy said that hiring a new coach is one of the normalisation committee’s top priorities, stressing that the choice must be a top-level one.

"All the news about setting a definite date for the new coach announcement is not true. The EFA is avoiding announcing any date until the negotiations are done with the new tactician," explained Ismail.

"As Mr El-Ganainy previously said, the EFA is choosing between six or seven candidates. The number is the same and has not been reduced.

"The coming board meeting on Wednesday night could witness discussing the candidates' names and the criteria for choosing the new coach," he concluded.

Aguirre was dismissed right after Egypt bowed out of the AFCON tournament during the last 16 stage on home soil after conceding a late goal to lose 1-0 to South Africa earlier this month.

Former Pharaohs coach Hassan Shehata, former Ahly coach Hossam El-Badri, Egypt's all-time top scorer Hossam Hassan, Maqassa boss Mido, and Masry manager Ihab Galal are in the running to occupy the hot seat.

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