حسين عبد اللطيف to leave Egypt youth team despite federation talks

Attempts by the Egyptian Football Association to persuade حسين عبد اللطيف to remain in charge of Egypt’s youth national team have failed, with the coach expected to leave for a new role in Libya.

FilGoal.com previously reported that Abdel Latif had informed officials of his decision to depart and take up a coaching position with Libya’s youth national team. Further efforts to reverse that decision and keep him in charge of Egypt’s side have now proved unsuccessful.

The Egyptian Football Association is considering a number of candidates to replace him and expects to decide on a successor within 48 hours.

Officials had hoped to retain Abdel Latif ahead of the Under-18 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Qatar in November. However, the coach remains set to end his time with the Egypt team and begin a new assignment with Libya’s 2010-born youth side.

A source from the Egyptian Football Association previously told FilGoal.com: “Hussein Abdel Latif decided to leave his position as coach of the 2009-born youth national team in order to take charge of Libya’s 2010-born youth national team.”

Shawky Gharib, the federation’s technical director, is searching for an alternative in the coming days so the team can continue its preparations for the World Cup.

The Egyptian side played 11 matches under Abdel Latif, recording five wins, three draws and three defeats.

Egypt secured qualification for the World Cup after winning the bronze medal at the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Morocco. The team’s third-place finish earned it a place in the global tournament.

The youth World Cup, referred to in the original report as the Under-18 World Cup and also as the Under-17 World Cup, is due to be held in Qatar from 19 November to 13 December 2026.

Qatar will host five successive annual editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup between 2025 and 2029. Each tournament will feature 48 teams.

Egypt appeared in the previous edition in 2025 under coach Ahmed El Kass. They progressed beyond the group stage but were eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 32.

The Egyptian federation must now identify Abdel Latif’s replacement before the World Cup preparations move forward. Its decision is expected within two days, as officials assess the names under consideration for the role.