File Photo: Former Ahly midfielder’s Wael Riad. Al-Ahram.
Riad's appointment was confirmed during an EFA board meeting chaired by President Hany Abo Rida.
At the same meeting, the board approved the squad for the upcoming tournament, selecting players from the Second Division League and members from the First Division League.
The 42-year-old former Ahly midfielder’s appointment is viewed as a strategic move to boost the performance of local players, with high expectations for improved results in the forthcoming CHAN qualifiers.
Under his leadership, the home-based national team will participate in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers, where Egypt is drawn against South Africa in the first round.
Other first-round fixtures include Comoros facing Malawi and Gambia clashing with Gabon.
The winner between Egypt and South Africa will then meet the Comoros–Malawi tie winner to determine the first team to qualify for CHAN, while Algeria will play the winner of the Gambia–Gabon clash to decide the second qualifier.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently conducted the draw for the African Nations Championship for Local Players, with the qualifiers have been placed in Group C alongside Uganda, Niger, and Guinea. The overall CHAN draw produced the following groups:
• Group A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia
• Group B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central Africa
• Group C: Uganda, Niger, Guinea, second qualifier from the playoffs, first qualifier from the playoffs
• Group D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria
Originally scheduled to be held from 1 to 28 February with Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda as co-hosts, the CHAN tournament has been postponed to August 2025.
This postponement, along with the commitment to field competitive squads in World Cup and African Nations Championship qualifiers, underscores the EFA’s comprehensive approach to international competition.
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