The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has put on hold its negotiations with foreign candidates for the job of head coach for its national team, as there might be a switch in plans.
The football governing body had initially agreed on appointing a foreign tactician, and a five-man shortlist was announced earlier this week.
Two-time African Nations Cup winner Herve Renard from France came in as the frontrunner, ahead of his compatriot Alain Giresse, Belgian Georges Leekens, German Ulit Stielke and Dutchman Frank Rijkaard.
�We were hoping to proceed very soon but, if the league remains suspended, there will be no reason to hire a foreign tactician who doesn�t know the Egyptian players and won�t have the opportunity to see them in action in order to make his choices,� EFA vice president Hassan Farid told a radio programme on Thursday.
A cabinet meeting on Wednesday was scheduled to make a decision on the resumption of the football league, but the issue has been put on hold due to more pressing matters.
�We are in advanced talks with Renard, but we might opt for a national coach who will surely be more accustomed to the players and these circumstances,” Farid said.
“Personally I want Hassan Shehata and that seems to be a general opinion among board members,� he concluded.
Shehata had a glorious spell with the Pharaohs, leading them to an unprecedented treble in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
The 65-year-old tactician is currently in charge of Arab Contractors, but has hinted on several occasions that he would welcome the job any time.
The seven-time African champions have been without a head coach since the departure of Shawky Gharib in November 2014, after failing to reach the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the third time in a row.
