Egypt sack football coach Rui Vitoria after Africa Cup of Nations disappointment
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Egypt coach Rui Vitoria has been sacked after the team's last-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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CAIRO – Egypt sacked Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria on Feb 4, a week after their disappointing last-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced.
Vitoria’s deal was set to run until the 2026 World Cup but Egypt’s dismal Cup of Nations campaign, which ended in a shoot-out loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo following a 1-1 draw on Jan 28, brought a premature end to his tenure.
The EFA said the 53-year-old and his entire backroom staff had been relieved of their duties. It also said that Mohamed Youssef, a former coach of Al Ahly who led the Egyptian giants to the African Champions League title in 2013, would take over on an interim basis.
“The association will also study the CVs of (some) foreign coaches,” the EFA added.
Vitoria was named Egypt’s boss in 2022, inheriting a side reeling from a drastic slump in form that followed their run to the 2021 Cup of Nations final in Cameroon.
Things initially looked promising, with Egypt improving in attack and comfortably booking their place at the Cup of Nations finals. They also won their opening two games of the World Cup qualifiers.
Egypt won 12 times in 14 games under Vitoria before heading to the Cup of Nations, losing only once. But they produced some lacklustre displays in the Ivory Coast, making it to the last 16 by virtue of three straight 2-2 draws before DR Congo ended their hopes of a record-extending eighth Cup of Nations title.
Their cause was not helped by the loss of some key players to injury, including talisman Mohamed Salah and first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.
“Vitoria is primarily responsible for Egypt’s elimination,” the team’s former defender Wael Gomaa, who won three Nations Cup titles from 2006 to 2010, said on beIN Sports. “He brought out the worst in the players, and he lacked a creative touch. We were supposed to at least reach the semi-finals because our path was easier than the competitors.”
Vitoria became the latest casualty of the tournament, following the departures of Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi, Gambia’s Tom Saintfiet, Ghana’s Chris Hughton, Tunisia’s Jalel Kadri, Tanzania’s Adel Amrouche and Ivory Coast boss Jean-Louis Gasset. REUTERS
