Ahmed Abdullah, the CEO of ZED Club, revealed the reason for rejecting Mohamed Shawky, the team's coach, taking on the role of head coach for the Egypt Olympic national team.
The Egyptian Football Association is seeking to appoint a new head coach for the Egypt Olympic national team.
The CEO of ZED Club stated on Al-Nahar Channel: "A 4-0 victory over the Djiboutian champions will give ZED players a positive boost in the league and upcoming matches."
He added, "I hope we reach the Confederation Cup group stage, but I would prefer not to be in the same group as Al-Ahly."
He continued, "Mohamed Shawky's name was proposed for coaching the Egypt Olympic national team, but we have completely closed this matter. We trust in Shawky's project with us, as he has achieved 99% of the club's objectives."
He concluded, "We informed the Football Association of our refusal for Mohamed Shawky to coach the Olympic team, and they fully understand the situation, especially since the ambitions of both the coach and the club are aligned."
ZED began their continental journey under Mohamed Shawky's leadership with a 4-0 win against AS Djibouti in the first leg of the Confederation Cup preliminary round.
Last season, Shawky led his ZED team to the Egypt Cup final, where they lost to Pyramids FC, and qualified for African competitions for the first time in the club's history as cup runners-up.
The Football Association announced the appointment of Shawky Gharib as supervisor of the Egypt Olympic national team until a permanent head coach for the Pharaohs is settled upon.
Egypt will host the finals of the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, which serves as an Olympic qualifier, in November 2027.
