New coach pledges facelift to Egypt's national soccer team
Javier Aguirre tells Al-Monitor that his main challenge is to raise the morale of his team after their defeat in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The new stars of Egypt's national soccer team are more likely to be found in the Egyptian leagues rather than among Egyptians playing abroad, according to Javier Aguirre, the coach of the Egyptian national team for FIFA World Cup Qatar in 2022.
Aguirre, who is from Mexico, took over from Hector Cuper in August after the 2018 World Cup. He told Al-Monitor that he intends to inject new blood into the team. "That is why I am carefully watching Egyptian league matches … to discover talent," he said.
“My strategy does not rely on players who play in foreign clubs,” he added, although the Egyptian national team’s star player, Mohamed Salah, is currently playing at Liverpool.
Aguirre made headlines after the Egyptian team defeated Niger 6-0 in the African Cup (AFCON 2019) qualifiers on Sept. 8. "I am so happy that the national team managed to draw a smile on Egyptians' faces after beating Niger with a high score. I know [that Egyptian soccer fans] were somehow disappointed with the team's result in the World Cup," Aquirre told Al-Monitor on the sidelines of the celebrations of Mexican Independence Day in Egypt on Sept. 16.
