Sports

Egypt part ways with coach Hossam Hassan, appoint Ali Maher as successor

The Egyptian Football Association announced on Saturday that it had ended Hossam Hassan's contract as head coach of the senior national team, along with that of his brother Ibrahim, the team manager, and named Ali Maher as his successor. The decision comes six days before Egypt face Malawi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Hassan's daughter Yara responded with a brief message citing Quranic verses, RT Arabic reported.

روسيا اليوم (RT Arabic)Sunday, November 8, 2026, 00:02Covered by 3 sources

Illustrative photo: Aerial top-down view of an empty grass football pitch with white markings and center circle. Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

Why it matters

The coaching change comes only six days before a competitive fixture, leaving the new coach very little time to prepare. Egypt's national team has a large following across the Arab world, which explains the wide interest in the decision.

Background

Egypt's national football team is nicknamed the "Pharaohs". The Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are played between national teams to reach the continental finals. Hossam Hassan held the post of head coach, while his brother Ibrahim served as team manager.

Key points

The Egyptian federation announced its decision through its social media accounts, according to CNN Arabic.

What’s next

According to Sky News Arabia, the match against Malawi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers comes 6 days after the decision was announced.

How outlets covered it

The three outlets agreed on the core fact: Hossam Hassan is no longer coach of the national team. RT Arabic focused on the reaction of his daughter Yara and described the move as a dismissal. CNN Arabic highlighted the official announcement on social media and noted that the contract of team manager Ibrahim Hassan was also ended. Sky News Arabia paired Hassan's departure with Ali Maher's appointment, tied the news to the date of the Malawi match, and framed it as the end of the coach's assignment.