Ali Maher begins his mission with Egypt with new decisions

Ali Maher has wasted no time putting his stamp on the Egypt national team. The new Pharaohs boss has revealed his coaching staff for the period ahead, a first step towards the challenges to come, chief among them the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Maher confirmed his backroom team on Sunday. The announcement came a day after the Egyptian Football Association ended Hossam Hassan's spell in charge and handed Maher the reins as his successor, a decision reached when the association's board of directors met to weigh up the latest developments.

The staff features Mohamed Abdel Karim as general coach, Bassem Ali as assistant coach and Mostafa Fathy as goalkeeping coach. Mahmoud Selim and Abdel Rahman El-Zoghby step in as performance analysts, while Diego Giacchino and Wael Raafat will oversee physical load planning.

Two matches against Malawi await in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Egypt's camp gets under way on 9 November at the national teams centre.

Cairo International Stadium hosts the first leg on 13 November. The sides then meet again on 17 November at the Bingu International Stadium in Malawi for the fourth round.

Group 2 pits Egypt against Angola, South Sudan and Malawi. The Pharaohs sit top on 4 points, ahead of second-placed Angola on goal difference, with Malawi third on 3 points and South Sudan rooted to the bottom without a single point.

Egypt opened their campaign with a goalless draw at home to Angola. They soon rediscovered their rhythm, hammering South Sudan 5-0 away.