Egypt’s dreams of winning a record-breaking eighth Africa Cup of Nations were dashed last week, and as a result, the Egyptian Football Association announced the dismissal of head coach Rui Vitoria.
The Portuguese manager Rui Vitoria and his staff were thanked by the EFA board of directors, who also stated that they were “reviewing foreign coaches’ resumes” in a statement.The national team, which lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a thrilling penalty shootout last week, would be led by former al-Ahly coach Mohamed Youssef in the interim.
The Egyptians, who had traveled to Ivory Coast with the hope of winning their first Cup of Nations since 2010, the year before star player Mohamed Salah made his senior international debut, were bitterly disappointed by their defeat in the round of 16.
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After three draws in a group stage performance deemed lackluster by local pundits, the team had already lost the Liverpool star to a hamstring injury.
Egyptian supporters received a “pology” from the EFA last week for “not achieving their ambitions.”
Vitoria is one of several AFCON coaches who are leaving the Pharoahs after less than two years of service.
The underdogs on the continent have enjoyed success in the tournament, while the heavyweights have found it disappointing.
The four previous edition semi-finalists as well as the top five-ranked African countries were eliminated prior to the quarterfinals.
