Lead:
Ali Maher, former Ceramica Cleopatra manager, has been confirmed as Egypt's new senior national team coach following Hossam Hassan's removal. The Egyptian Football Association studied five candidates before settling on Maher, rejecting foreign coaching options and appointing him from a domestic shortlist.
Top Stories:
Ali Maher's appointment to Egypt national team — The Egyptian Football Association confirmed Maher as Hassan's successor after evaluating multiple candidates. Mustafa Abu Zahra, a board member, stated the union focused on Maher without naming other finalists and ruled out signing a foreign coach. Maher has begun assembling his technical staff, naming Tamer Mustafa as an assistant.Bassem Ali removal from Egypt coaching staff — Former Al Ahly player Bassem Ali was excluded from Maher's backroom team within hours of announcement, citing failure to obtain the required Category A coaching license. Ali revealed he learned of dismissal thirty minutes before the first training session; Tarek Saliman and Mohamed Abdel Wahid were exempted under grandfathering rules applied to coaches with pre-existing contracts before new African confederation standards took effect in May 2025.Al Ahly midfielder Marwan Atiya returns to squad — Marwan Atiya rejoins Al Ahly's active roster for the upcoming Pyramids match after receiving rest during fixtures against Al Mokawloon and Egyptian Railways. Coach Hussein Ammoutah reintegrated the midfielder following recovery from fixture congestion sustained across club and national team commitments.Al Ahly defensive recruitment shifts — Al Ahly has dropped three defender targets—Mustafa Ibrahim, Mohamed Hussein, and Mahmoud Al-Garar—from winter transfer plans. The club's technical assessment determined current defenders Yasser Ibrahim, Hadi Riyad, Yassin Marei, and Ashraf Dari match or exceed prospective signings in current form.Noor Al-Din Ben Zakri rejects Zamalek talks — Algerian coach Ben Zakri, former Saudi youth team manager, confirmed his name circulated for Zamalek's position through his agent but negotiations never reached formal stage. He attributed the failed discussion to financial terms, noting his market valuation increased following Saudi league experience.Egypt U-16 team opens Africa Cup qualifiers against Tunisia — Egypt's under-16 national team faces Tunisia in the first round of North African qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (under-16). Four nations compete for two qualification slots, with Libya withdrawing; qualifiers travel to Morocco for the finals.What to Watch:
Egypt faces Malawi in third and fourth-round 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on November 13 and a subsequent date, with matches at Cairo International Stadium, as Maher pursues points to secure top-two finish in Group Two under new leadership.
Mohamed Salah scored for Trabzonspor in a 2-0 Turkish league victory over Alanya, maintaining the Egyptian forward's strong form as speculation continues over potential Saudi league interest.