Most of the blame was placed on Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who was criticized by the fans for his lineup and choices during the match.
Queiroz justified the defeat, saying: “It is simple, our performance in the first half was very poor, we were not on the field, and we started playing in the second half.”
He added, “We lost this match, but there are 6 points we can collect. We will beat Sudan and Guinea Bissau and qualify for the next round.”
Queiroz sacked?
Although it was very early in the tournament, and the defeat came in front of a strong opponent, the option to dismiss Queiroz seemed to be a demand for some fans.
Some fans demanded the dismissal of Queiroz, “save what can be saved” for the Egyptian team, and focus on the next stage, which is the decisive qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Queiroz’s stumble complements his “failure” in the Arab Cup, and his exit empty-handed, which raises the alarm before it is too late.
The dismissal of Queiroz now may mean completing the tournament with a temporary coach, who may refresh the players with new ideas, and inspire a spirit of giving.
The new coach will also focus with a new thought on the African qualifiers stage, and achieve the main goal of qualifying for the World Cup.
What did the experts say?
Former Egypt national team player Ahmed Hossam Mido said on his Twitter account:Someone must be superior to Queiroz..there is no reproach for the man, this is the injustice of all players.”
Journalist Muhammad Saeed said:Carlos Queiroz deserves the fastest dismissal decision in football history. The story is bigger than losing a football match.”
As for the TV presenter, Mohamed Ahmed Ziada, he wrote on his account: “What is happening is the fault in all its meanings, Egypt is greater than Queiroz. Tayara and Diaa El-Sayed complete the tournament, at least I know the capabilities of each player and can employ them, he will not do worse than what you see.”
As one activist wrote on Twitter: “The comic writer Queiroz defeats the Egyptian team in all ways and superstitious ideas.. And the Egyptian team presents a gift to the Nigerian team.
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