Egypt had an unexpected and seemingly disastrous result as they went down to South Africa 1-0 in the Round of 16 clash in Africa Cup of Nations 2019. There was a sudden furore after the hosts’ shock elimination and the President of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) Hani Abou Rida resigned late in the day, which followed the sacking of the technical team including gaffer Javier Aguirre.
The decision came as “a moral obligation” said the EFA in a statement after “disappointing Egypt’s supporters” in a 1-0 defeat to South Africa, adding that all board members had been invited to resign.
Rida had been at the helm of Egypt FA since 2016 and the pressure was mounting ever since the poor FIFA World Cup 2018 showing where the Pharaohs had to face group stage exit. Egypt’s coach has come under criticism for his poor tactics and management, including from the Egypt legend Wael Gomaa, who accused the Mexican of having “no tactics or strategy.”
Egypt, being on home soil, were one of the strong contenders of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 but yesterday’s defeat at the hands of South Africa saw the team left in shock. An emotional Mohammed Salah was even seen crying after the game. Egypt were poor on the day and South Africa made the most of the chances they got and fetched the winner with a 85th minute strike from Thembinkosi Lorch. The Egypt coach wasn’t too critical of the team and remarked: “I think the game was open and there were chances for both teams. The only difference was the goal for South Africa.”
The accountability shown by the Egypt FA is worthy of praise and is a model the other Football Associations should follow as well. When the players undergo daily pressure of ‘perform or perish,’ the management too should follow suit. This comes as a welcome step and would be interesting to see how other FA’s react to it.
