Cuper was not EFA’S first choice to manage national team

CAIRO – 16 October 2017: Former Egypt Football Association “EFA” President Gamal Allam announced on Monday that the Argentinean coach for Egypt’s national team, Hector Cuper, was not their first choice to coach the national team.

Allam was EFA president when they appointed Hector Cuper to replace Shawky Gharieb as Egypt manager in 2015.

“The French manager, Alain Giresse, was our first choice, and Hassan Shehata was the second choice, but at the end we appointed Cuper,” Allam told El Hadaf Radio program.

Allam added, “Cuper’s lawyer arrived in Cairo to negotiate with us. He asked for €120,000 ($141,727) a month, but at the end we agreed on $65,000 a month.”

Cuper, 61, managed to lead Egypt’s national team to the 2017 African Cup of Nations final, when Egypt lost to Cameroon 2-1.

Cuper’s biggest achievement with the Pharaohs is leading them to the 2018 World Cup in Russia after 28 years of absence, as Egypt’s national team last played in the World Cup in 1990 in Italy.