Ali Maher takes charge of Egypt with just five days to prepare for first match

Ali Maher says he is honoured to lead Egypt and intends to introduce new ideas after taking over with only five days before his first match.

Speaking at his introductory news conference, Maher said managing the national team was the ambition of every coach.

“It is an honour to be at the head of Egypt’s technical staff. This is the goal that every coach strives for,” he said.

Maher also thanked President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his support of Egyptian football and Egyptian coaches.

He paid tribute to former Egypt manager Hossam Hassan, saying: “I thank Hossam Hassan for the effort he made with the national team. We are here to continue the journey and bring new things to the team.”

Maher acknowledged the limited time available to him before his first assignment, but said he had confidence in the players’ ability to adapt.

“I took over at a very difficult time, just five days before the first match, but I am relying on the players’ ability to execute our ideas,” he said. “We have the best players on the African continent.”

The coach explained that working with a club usually gives managers more time to develop their methods, whereas international football requires a different approach.

“Club work takes place every day and you can teach your ideas to the players each day,” Maher said. “With a national team, there are many more details, so we are trying to maintain constant communication with the players to make sure the ideas reach them clearly.”

Maher also praised Egypt captain Mohamed Salah, describing him as a central figure in the country’s football history.

“Mohamed Salah is the best thing to have happened to Egyptian football,” he said.

The manager added that every player wanted to make an impact while representing Egypt and said he trusted the squad to deliver moments that would make supporters happy.

“All players want to leave their mark and have an influence with the Egypt national team,” he said. “I trust them because they are the ones who make the Egyptian people happy.”

Maher said the team’s immediate priorities had to come before any discussion about reducing the average age of the squad.

“Every stage has its own requirements,” he said. “Egyptian football produces an outstanding player only from time to time, so we must make use of all the players currently available to achieve the objective we are pursuing. After that, we can consider the idea of lowering the average age.”