VIDEO: EFA Officially sacks Shawky Gharib
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has started procedures to end the contracts of coach Shawky Gharib and his staff.
“The association has sent thank you letters to all of the 14 technical staff members informing them of their contract termination, in accordance with the deal conditions,” EFA board member Mahmoud El-Shamy stated to an Egyptian television programme on Monday.
Under Gharib’s helm, the record-seven time winners failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. They could only garner six points from two victories over Botswana, losing home and away to Tunisia and Senegal.
“Considering that your contract with the FA states that it will be terminated automatically if Egypt do not reach the Nations Cup finals in 2015, we inform you that your contract has expired and we are thankful for the period you worked with us,” the EFA wrote in their letter to the coaching staff.
The board are meeting Wednesday to state Gharib dismissal and to discuss his replacement.
Gharib said he would accept any decision from the EFA regarding his future, while setting a number of excuses for Egypt’s third-place finish behind Tunisia and Senegal, including a string of injuries to key players.
Egypt have never before failed to reach Africa’s showpiece three straight times. They missed out on two consecutive editions twice: in 1965 and 1968 and 2012 and 2013.
Gharib, 55, who won the Nations Cup as a player in 1986, was appointed in November last year to replace American Bob Bradley, who failed to lead Egypt to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
