Despite the renewal until 2030... the departure of Hossam Hassan and the assignment of Ali Maher to lead the Pharaohs

The Egyptian Football Association announced, this evening, Saturday (November 7, 2026), that it has terminated its contract with the national team’s coach, Hossam Hassan (60 years old), and assigned the task to local coach Ali Maher, the current coach of the Ceramica Cleopatra team.

The decision came despite the fact that Al-Ittihad had renewed Hossam Hassan’s contract until 2030, and after months of leading the national team to the 2026 World Cup finals, where the “Pharaohs” exited the tournament in the round of 16 after a dramatic loss to Argentina with a score of 3-2.

The Union justifies the decision

The Egyptian Federation explained, in an official statement, that the decision came after reviewing the events and repercussions that took place in the past period, and the resulting negative impact on the team’s image and stability.

At the same time, the Board of Directors affirmed its appreciation for what Hossam Hassan and his technical and administrative staff provided during their leadership of the national team, wishing them success in their future journey.

Achievements that did not satisfy the “Dean”

Hossam Hassan, the all-time top scorer for the Pharaohs, took over as coach of the Egyptian national team in February 2024, and succeeded in achieving several notable achievements within a short period.

He led the team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup for the first time in eight years. The team also achieved its first victory in the history of its participation in the World Cup, and reached the semi-finals of the 2025 African Cup of Nations.

But these results were not enough to guarantee his continuation in his position, and he left suddenly despite the contract extending for many years.

Ali Maher faces the biggest challenge

On the other hand, the Egyptian Federation assigned coach Ali Maher (52 years old) to lead the national team during the next stage, while asking him to present a complete vision for the new technical staff.

Maher's selection comes after a successful period with Ceramica Cleopatra, during which he led the team to win the Egyptian League Cup title twice, which strengthened his chances of assuming the national mission.

Early test in African qualifiers

The new coach will not have much time to prepare, as the Egyptian national team is preparing to play two matches against Malawi during the international break this November, as part of the qualifiers for the 2027 African Cup of Nations, which is hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Attention is now turning to Ali Maher's ability to build on what his predecessor achieved and lead the team to maintain its momentum after a period that witnessed positive results but ended with a sudden dismissal decision.