Egypt FA reported to have decided on Hossam Hassan's exit after the Malawi qualifiers
Al-Masry Al-Youm reported on Thursday 5 November 2026 that the Egyptian Football Association, led by Hani Abu Rida, has decided to part ways with national-team head coach Hossam Hassan and his assistant Ibrahim Hassan after the two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi — but the association has issued no official announcement, and sources close to the federation say no final decision has been taken.
The Malawi games would be the last for the current staff
According to the report, the two Malawi fixtures will be the final matches for the current coaching staff. Egypt host Malawi at Cairo International Stadium on Friday 13 November, at 9pm Cairo time, before the return leg at Bingu International Stadium on Tuesday 17 November, at 3pm Malawi time. The matches are the third and fourth rounds of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The team are due to enter a closed training camp on Monday 9 November at the national teams’ centre in Cairo to prepare for the two games.
Tarek Soliman to take the touchline
Assistant coach Tarek Soliman is set to lead the team from the touchline in both matches, because Hossam Hassan is serving a three-match suspension imposed by FIFA. The suspension followed events during Egypt’s 3-2 defeat by Argentina in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. Ibrahim Hassan was given the same three-match ban, while Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko received a five-match suspension.
Soliman has applied for a coaching licence so that the Confederation of African Football will allow him to be present on the pitch for the two fixtures, according to a source at the association quoted by FilGoal.
An Egyptian successor is the favoured option
The report said the association is leaning towards an Egyptian head coach to succeed Hassan, with Hossam El-Badry and Ali Maher the leading candidates. Nothing has been settled: voices inside the association are pushing for a foreign appointment instead, and the choice is expected to be made only after the current staff’s departure is confirmed and the two Malawi games have been played.
An official announcement of the decision was expected within hours of the report, though some have proposed holding it back until after the November international window, to avoid disrupting the team’s preparations.
Denials, and a board meeting on Saturday
The report has been met with denials. Ibrahim Hassan said there is no official decision, and that a meeting on Wednesday with Abu Rida discussed the national team’s files only. A source at the association said there is no talk of a departure now and that the focus is on Malawi, and Egyptian press reports said a board meeting is scheduled for Saturday to discuss the national team’s files.
The reported move would cut short a contract extension running to 2030 that Hassan signed earlier this year. It follows a difficult few weeks for the coach: on Wednesday 4 November the Supreme Council for Media Regulation banned him from appearing on all media outlets, after a public dispute with his former wife.
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