Egypt’s former football coach Ehab Galal passed away on Wednesday 11 September at age 57 following a stroke.

Galal was admitted to intensive care at the beginning of September but his health deteriorated.

His club Ismaili announced his passing in a press release.

In 2022, Galal led the Egyptian national team in just three games before being replaced by Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria after just two months. Galal had replaced Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz. The Egyptian Football Association opted not to renew Queiroz’s contract after the Pharaohs failed to reach the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

In his international debut Galal got by Guinea in a late 1-0 home win in their opening Group D game of African Nations qualifiers.

But they stumbled badly in his second outing, losing 2-0 to minnows Ethiopia in a stunning upset in another Nations Cup qualifier.

The last straw was apparently the heavy 4-1 defeat suffered against South Korea in a friendly.

During his career Galal coached several clubs, including Zamalek, Pyramids FC, Masri, Maqassa and his last stop Ismaili, establishing a reputation for attacking football.

The EFA offered its condolences to Galal’s family. “May God bless his soul,” a statement issued by the association said.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly