Egypt’s head coach, Rui Vitoria, has been fired after the African football giants’ chances of winning a record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations were destroyed last week, according to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).
In a statement, the EFA board of directors “thanked Portuguese manager Rui Vitoria and his staff,” adding that it was “reviewing foreign coaches’ resumes”.
In the interim, former al-Ahly coach Mohamed Youssef would take command of the national team, who were knocked out of the competition last week in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The defeat in the final 16 was a bitter pill for the Egyptians, who had traveled to Ivory Coast wanting to win their first Cup of Nations since 2010, a year before talisman Mohamed Salah made his senior international debut.
The Liverpool star had previously been sidelined with a hamstring injury after what local commentators described as a disappointing group stage showing that included three draws.
Last Thursday, the EFA “apologised” to Egyptian supporters for failing to meet their expectations.
Vitoria, who has been with the Pharoahs for less than two years, is one of several AFCON coaches that are leaving.
The tournament has been successful for the continent’s underdogs but disappointing for its heavyweights.
The five top-ranked African nations, as well as the four semi-finalists from the previous edition, were all eliminated before reaching the quarterfinals.