Tunis - Mohammed Saleh
Egyptian coach Hassan Shehata
Chairman of Tunisia\'s Club Africain Selim Rayahi has contacted the Egyptian coach Hassan Shehata to offer him the position of team manager for the 2012-2013 season, sources revealed to Arabstoday.
The sources added that Shehata has initially accepted the offer. A contract is expected to be signed soon.
Born in June 1947, Shehata spent most of his career as a player in Egypt\'s giant club, Zamalek, where he won one Egyptian league title and three national cups.
As football was suspended in Egypt for six years between 1967 and 1973 due to the war against Israel, Shehata ventured to Kuwait for a new challenge, where he won the Asia best player award in 1970 playing for Kazma. He decided to retire in 1983.
Even if he had a brilliant football player career, Shehata made an even greater career as a coach. He led three championship teams in Egypt to promotion to the Egyptian Premier League, before leading the Arab Contractors Club to win the national and super cups while still playing in the championship, an unprecedented achievement in history of Egyptian football.
However, Shehata made his greatest achievement after he was appointed as manager of the Egyptian national team in 2005. He led Egypt to win three successive African cups in 2006, 2008 and 2010, raising Egypt\'s toll to seven African cups, the best record in Africa. He also helped Egypt to go up in the FIFA rankings to ninth place, the second highest place reached by an African team ever. His achievements earned the best African coach award in 2008.
Meanwhile, Arabstoday sources added that the Moroccan coach Bado el-Zaki is most likely to be the alternative if the Club Africain\'s negotiation with Shehata fails.