Ali Maher resigns as Egypt youth team coach over staff interference

In early March 2017, Ali Maher resigned as head coach of Egypt's junior national team. A former Al Ahly striker, he had moved into coaching after his playing career and was in charge of one of the country's youth sides.

Maher said he was stepping down in protest at interference by officials of the Egyptian Football Association, the national governing body, in the choice of his coaching staff. He wanted to pick his own assistants and specialists, and the dispute with the federation could not be resolved.

The resignation mattered because it highlighted a recurring tension in Egyptian football between coaches and the administrators who oversee national teams. Youth sides are seen as the pipeline for the senior team, so changes at the top disrupted planning for that age group. The episode was also an early example of Maher's reputation for taking a firm stand over working conditions, a trait that later featured in coverage of his career as he moved up to bigger roles.