Ali Maher sets out inclusive vision after Egypt’s five-goal win over Malawi

Egypt manager Ali Maher has called on the national team to attack and defend with equal intensity while praising the country’s domestic league coaches after his side’s 5-0 victory over Malawi.

The result came in Egypt’s opening match under Maher, in the third round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Cairo Stadium. It gave the new manager an emphatic start and offered an early indication of the approach he wants to establish.

Maher said Egypt’s supporters deserved to watch entertaining football, with the team imposing its style on opponents rather than focusing only on results.

‘Attack like a lion’

Maher described his footballing philosophy as one in which Egypt attack fiercely and defend with the same determination. He said the players had applied those principles particularly well in the first half, when they aimed to settle the match early.

The manager believes Egypt have players capable of producing strong performances against any opponent. He likened the team to a lion, reflecting his desire for a side with character, courage and the confidence to control matches instead of simply reacting to the opposition.

He also explained that Marwan Attia was introduced in the second half to help Egypt regain possession during periods when Malawi had more of the ball, while maintaining an attacking numerical advantage.

Maher said training had focused on pressing, attacking and defending aggressively. He acknowledged, however, that the limited number of sessions available to national-team managers remained one of the main challenges at international level.

Praise for domestic coaches

The manager’s comments about Egypt’s league coaches drew particular attention. “I thank all the coaches in the Egyptian league. I am one of the products of this competition, and I know the scale of the hardship and effort they put in to produce players of high quality,” he said.

His words contrasted with previous comments by former Egypt manager Hossam Hassan, who said: “There is no team in the Egyptian league that plays football, and Egypt’s performance against Angola was much better than the performances of the teams in Egyptian league matches.”

Maher stressed that club coaches were essential partners in developing the national team and that their relationship with the national set-up should be based on cooperation and respect.

He added that selection would be open to everyone and based on the ability to make a contribution rather than reputation or pre-existing assumptions. Mahmoud Mamdouh, the league’s leading scorer, and Nasser Maher were cited as examples of players whose domestic form had earned them an opportunity with Egypt.

Maher also praised captain Mohamed Salah, who scored twice against Malawi, describing the Liverpool forward as a role model on and off the pitch. He repeated his earlier assessment that Salah was “the best thing to happen in Egyptian football”.

The manager said Mohamed Hany’s goal came from a rehearsed move designed to exploit extra numbers around the opposition penalty area. Hany had practised the movement with Ahmed Fattouh several times before converting it in the match.

Maher added that the coaching staff were continuing to study domestic matches and monitor players closely. He said most of their time since taking charge had been spent in meeting rooms, leaving only for sleep and prayer before returning to work.