The Egyptian Football Association settles on sacking Hossam Hassan

Hossam Hassan's days in charge of the Egypt national team are numbered. A press report has revealed that football association officials have settled on sacking him along with his brother Ibrahim Hassan, with an Egyptian head coach set to take over in the coming period.

The newspaper "Al-Masry Al-Youm" reported in an exclusive on Thursday that Egyptian Football Association officials, headed by Hani Abu Rida, have decided to part ways with the twins over the crises of recent weeks.

The two Malawi matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will be the last for the current coaching staff, according to the report. Tarek Soliman will take charge from the touchline across both games, with Hossam Hassan serving a three-match suspension handed down by FIFA.

Hossam El-Badry and Ali Maher the leading candidates

There's a twist in the list of candidates to succeed Hossam Hassan. The association are leaning towards an Egyptian head coach, and the names of Hossam El-Badry and Ali Maher have emerged as the front-runners for the job.

Nothing has been settled, with voices inside the association pushing for a foreign appointment instead. The matter will be resolved once the departure of the current staff is confirmed and the two Malawi games have been played.

An official announcement of the decision was expected within hours, the report indicated, though some have proposed holding it back until after the November international window to avoid disrupting the team's preparations.

Off-pitch crises increase the pressure on Hossam Hassan

All this comes with Hossam Hassan embroiled in a wide-ranging controversy over a family crisis with his former wife. The row spilled into the media and triggered legal moves, with the Supreme Council for Media Regulation banning both parties from appearing in the media to discuss personal matters.

Several of the head coach's comments about national team players have also drawn criticism in sporting circles, fuelling the calls for him to go. Chief among them was former Zamalek star Mahmoud Abdel-Razek Shikabala, who demanded that Hassan resign.

Date of the Egypt and Malawi matches

Egypt face Malawi twice in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Cairo International Stadium hosts the first leg on 13 November, before Bingu International Stadium stages the return on 17 November.