The Egyptian Football Federation (EFA) announced on Sunday that it had sacked coach Rui Vitoria after his hopes of winning an eighth African Cup of Nations were dashed last week in Ivory Coast.
In a statement, the EFA board “thanked Portuguese manager Rui Vitoria and his team of assistants” and said it was “reviewing the CVs of foreign coaches” to find a replacement.
Meanwhile, former al-Ahly coach Mohamed Youssef will lead the Pharaohs, who were eliminated from the continental competition after a spectacular penalty shootout against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 16.
The defeat was difficult to swallow for the Egyptians, who had gone to Ivory Coast in the hope of winning their first CAN since 2010 but who were deprived of injury in the second group match of their star, the Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.
Last week, the EFA “apologized” to Egyptian supporters for “not having achieved their ambitions”. Vitoria, whose mandate at the head of the Pharaons lasted less than two years, is one of the many coaches leaving due to poor performances at the CAN.
The tournament was favorable to some outsiders, and disappointing for most of the continent’s heavyweights. None of the five highest ranked African nations are present in the last four, nor any of the four semi-finalists from the last edition.
