Egypt’s Legendary Football Coach El-Gohary In Critical Condition

Egypt’s legendary coach Mahmoud El-Gohary is in critical condition after suffering a brain stroke in Amman, the Jordan Football Association (JFA) said on Saturday.

“The doctors described El-Gohary’s condition as critical. He was taken to a hospital in Amman to undergo further medical tests. A Jordanian medical team is monitoring his condition,” JFA chairman and FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein said in a statement.

“Jordan fully appreciates the achievements El-Gohary has done for the country. He is living here and treated as a Jordanian citizen.”

The 74-year-old is considered one of Egypt’s greatest-ever football icons. He was in charge of the national team in their last World Cup appearance in 1990, during which they famously held then European champions the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw.

However, they failed to get beyond the group stage after two draws with England and Ireland.

El-Gohary, known for his resolute defensive tactics, also steered Egypt to the African Nations Cup triumph in 1998.

On the club level, he won several domestic and continental titles with Cairo giants Ahly and Zamalek, including the Egyptian Premier League and the African Champions League.

El-Gohary was widely acclaimed in Jordan for leading the country to a remarkable quarter-final place at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. He has been working as an adviser for the JFA since 2009.

Ahram