Egypt sack Hossam Hassan and appoint Ali Maher as new coach

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has dismissed head coach Hossam Hassan and his staff, replacing them with Ali Maher as the team's new leader. This decision came during a meeting of the EFA board on Saturday, 7 November. The association cited recent events that had negatively impacted the national team's image and stability as the reason for the change.

Despite this, the EFA expressed gratitude for Hassan's contributions during his tenure and wished him well in his future endeavors. Maher, who currently manages Egyptian Premier League side Ceramica Cleopatra, will assume the role of guiding Egypt's senior national team ahead of the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The EFA has also asked Maher to submit his plans for assembling a technical team to support him in his new position. Hassan, a former Egypt international and the country's all-time leading goalscorer, led the Pharaohs to fourth place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and to the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Maher now confronts the significant task of leading Egypt in their two-legged match against Malawi for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, scheduled for 13 and 17 November.

Egypt is currently leading Group B with four points after victories over South Sudan and a draw against Angola in their first two matches.