Sports

Basem Ali leaves Egypt national team staff a day after appointment

Assistant coach Basem Ali has left the new Egypt national team coaching staff, led by Ali Maher, about 24 hours after the football federation officially announced his appointment on Sunday. CNN Arabic reported that he announced his departure on Monday. Media figure Ibrahim Fayek said he had details on the reasons, but the available material includes neither those details nor an official statement explaining the exit.

روسيا اليوم (RT Arabic)Monday, November 9, 2026, 23:30Covered by 2 sources

Illustrative photo: Coach gives instructions to a player on a grass football pitch, both seen from behind. Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash

Why it matters

Egypt's national team draws a large following across the region, so a sudden change in its coaching staff attracts attention. The official reasons for the exit remain unclear, leaving the story open to further clarification.

Background

The Egyptian Football Association oversees the country's national teams, including the selection and announcement of their coaching staff. The episode comes as a new technical staff is being formed for the national team under Ali Maher.

How outlets covered it

RT Arabic focused on what it described as a revelation by broadcaster Ibrahim Fayek about the "real reason" for the departure, calling the details striking, though the text available does not include them. CNN Arabic limited itself to the announcement, reporting that Basem Ali said on Monday he was leaving after nearly 24 hours in the post, and did not address the reasons. RT Arabic called him the assistant coach, while CNN Arabic described him as "a member of the technical staff." Both outlets agree on the core fact: Basem Ali left the new technical staff shortly after his appointment.