Ali Maher names Egypt coaching staff ahead of Malawi qualifiers

Ali Maher has begun shaping his Egypt project after confirming the coaching staff that will work with him ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The decision comes a day after the Egyptian Football Association ended Hossam Hassan’s tenure as national team manager and appointed Maher as his successor. The change was agreed at a meeting of the association’s board on Saturday, with Maher announcing his backroom team on Sunday.

محمد عبد الكريم will serve as assistant manager, with باسم علي appointed as assistant coach. مصطفى فتحي will work as goalkeeping coach, while محمود سليم and عبد الرحمن الزغبي have been named performance analysts.

Diego Giacchino and وايل رافت will be responsible for physical preparation and workload planning as Egypt begin preparations for their next qualifying fixtures.

Egypt are due to face Malawi twice in November, with the two matches forming the third and fourth rounds of qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The national team’s training camp is scheduled to begin on 9 November at the National Teams Centre.

The first meeting will take place at Cairo International Stadium on 13 November. The return fixture is scheduled for 17 November at Bingu International Stadium in Malawi.

Egypt lead Group B with four points from their opening two matches and are ahead of second-placed Angola on goal difference. Malawi are third with three points, while South Sudan are bottom without a point.

Egypt began their qualifying campaign with a goalless home draw against Angola before responding with a 5-0 away victory over South Sudan.