The Egyptian Football Association faces a compensation bill after terminating the contracts of Hossam Hassan and his twin brother Ibrahim. The association dismissed Egypt’s coaching and administrative staff and appointed Ali Maher as the Pharaohs’ new head coach.
The decision came on Saturday evening, just months after Hossam Hassan’s contract was extended until 2030 following Egypt’s run to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.
According to winwin, the association’s board, chaired by Hany Abo Rida, approved a payout of around EGP 15 million under the brothers’ termination clause. The amount covers three months of their combined pay, which stood at close to EGP 5 million a month including taxes.
The association cited the impact of recent events on the national team’s image and stability. The decision came three days after Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation barred Hossam Hassan from appearing in outlets covered by the country’s press and media law, following media controversy over a family dispute.
Hossam Hassan took charge of Egypt in February 2024, succeeding Portugal’s Rui Vitória. He led the Pharaohs to fourth place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost to Nigeria on penalties in the third-place play-off.
His biggest achievement was guiding Egypt to their first-ever World Cup win, a 3–1 victory over New Zealand. The Pharaohs then beat Australia on penalties in the round of 32 before losing 3–2 to Argentina in the last 16.
Maher joins from Ceramica Cleopatra, whom he led to the 2024–25 Egyptian League Cup title and a fourth-place league finish last season. He previously won the same cup with Future FC.
He will begin his tenure with two games against Malawi on 13 and 17 November, on matchdays three and four of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
