Friendly coach

Former star Hassan Shehata has been chosen as the Pharaoh's caretaker football coach but he might not see real action. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab explains

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Shehata

Another name, for the same team, and perhaps for a very short time. Hassan Shehata, Zamalek's mid- field great of the 1970s, has been chosen as the national team caretaker coach for the next two months.

Shehata replaces the Italian Marco Tardelli, who was sacked earlier last month following a string of poor results.

Shehata is to look after the national team while keeping his job as coach of the second division Arab Contractors until Egyptian Football Association (EFA) elections in December.

"He will prepare the team for the remaining World Cup qualifiers," EFA spokesman Medhat Shalabi said. "We are arranging friendlies in the next two months against European champions Greece, Zimbabwe and Gabon." However, none of the teams have been contacted so far.

Shehata will guide the national team until the start of the new year, the same time as when the term of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) ends. He could conceivably remain as coach, depending on what the new federation decides. And because he might not stay more than two months, Shehata might not be involved in any official game, save some friendlies.

That might prove a costly error in judgement. Shehata made wonders with the Contractors, steering the second division squad to unprecedented victories in the cup and super cup this year after defeating powerhouses Ahli and Zamalek.

Tardelli was fired after Egypt's 2-1 defeat away to Libya in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers that dealt a blow to the team's hopes of reaching the finals in Germany.

Egypt are fourth in Group Three with seven points, five adrift of leaders Ivory Coast.

Its next 2006 World Cup qualifier is at home to second-placed Libya in March.

Tardelli, 50, had been in charge since April and was specifically recruited to pilot the country to the 2006 World Cup finals. Egypt have not been at the World Cup since 1990.

Tardelli received $50,000 as a severance fee.

"It's a national responsibility. My main task will be boosting the players' confidence," Shehata, 55, said. "Reaching the World Cup now is very difficult but it is not impossible."

Essam Abdel-Moneim, president of the EFA board, said the public outcry over the Pharaohs' poor results had forced them to act. "I think Shehata is the best to run the team especially since he used to work with the team's assistant coaches," Abdel-Moneim said.

Shehata previously worked with goalkeeper coach Ahmed Suleiman and assistant coach Ismail Youssef. Both are current members of the national squad.

Shehata said he was happy with the post after an agreement was reached with the Arab Contractors. "We're very proud with our choice of Shehata to lead our team since he was chosen to be the national team coach as well," said Ibrahim Mehleb, president of the Arab Contractors. "It's an honour for us to share with him the responsibility of the national team. I think Shehata will find a way to balance between his current job as our coach and that of the national team."

At a press conference, Shehata said he will enlist new players on the team and remove others "for a well-built infrastructure".

Shehata, who played more than 70 times for Egypt between 1969 and 1982, has coached several local clubs including his former team Zamalek.

He also guided Egypt's under-20s to the 2003 African championship before reaching the FIFA World Youth Championship quarter-finals in the same year.

The Contractors have offered to put their training pitch at the service of the national team and -- because Shehata cannot be here and there at the same time -- might also ask for a league match to be postponed if it overlaps a national team gathering.

The national team is expected to train five times a month during Shehata's two-month stint.