Egypt boss Ali Maher calls for unity with club coaches after Malawi victory

Egypt manager Ali Maher has called on domestic club coaches to work alongside the national team after beginning his tenure with a 5-0 win over Malawi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The victory in Cairo came in the third round of qualifying and offered an immediate indication of Maher’s approach, both on and off the pitch. He said Egypt must play with aggression in attack and defence while providing supporters with entertaining football and imposing their style on opponents.

Maher said: “My aim is for the team to attack fiercely and defend with the same intensity.” He added that his players had applied those ideas particularly well in the first half, when they focused on putting the match beyond Malawi early.

The manager believes Egypt have enough quality to play strongly against any opponent. He compared the team to a lion, reflecting his desire to build a side with personality, courage and the ability to control matches rather than simply react to the opposition.

Maher also explained the tactical reasoning behind introducing Marwan Attia in the second half. The midfielder was brought on to help Egypt regain possession during periods when Malawi had more of the ball, while also allowing the team to maintain its attacking numbers.

He said the coaching staff had worked on pressing, attacking and defending with intensity during training. Applying those principles against Malawi was an important step, although Maher acknowledged that the limited number of sessions available to national-team managers remained a major challenge.

A different tone towards the domestic game

One of Maher’s clearest messages concerned his relationship with coaches in the Egyptian league. He thanked them for their contribution to the national team, saying: “I thank all the Egyptian league coaches. I am one of the products of this competition, and I know the scale of the hardship and effort they put in to produce high-quality players.”

The comments differ sharply from remarks previously made by former Egypt manager Hossam Hassan, who said: “There is no team in the Egyptian league that plays football, and Egypt’s performance against Angola was much better than the performances of the teams in Egyptian league matches.”

Those comments prompted widespread debate and contributed to tension between Hassan and several domestic coaches. Maher, by contrast, stressed that club managers are an important part of developing the national team and that the relationship should be based on co-operation and appreciation.

He also said selection would be open to everyone and would be based on a player’s ability to make a contribution, rather than reputation or pre-existing assumptions. Mahmoud Mamdouh, the league’s leading scorer, and Nasser Maher were cited as examples of players whose domestic form had earned them opportunities with Egypt.

Praise for Mohamed Salah

Maher praised captain Mohamed Salah after the Liverpool forward scored twice against Malawi. He said Salah continued to demonstrate his importance and was a role model both on and off the pitch.

“Salah deserves to be treated in a way that matches his status,” Maher said, repeating his previous description of the forward as “the best thing to happen in Egyptian football”.

He also explained Mohamed Hany’s goal, saying Egypt had practised attacking with extra numbers around the opposition penalty area. The right-back had worked on the movement with Ahmed Fattouh several times in training before converting it in the match.

Maher said the staff were continuing to study domestic matches and monitor players closely. He added that most of their time since taking charge had been spent in meeting rooms, leaving only to sleep and pray before returning to work as they prepare Egypt for their next challenges.