Egyptian giants Zamalek, facing a race against time to appoint a new coach before the start of the season, said on Sunday they were in advanced talks with Montenegrin Nebojsa Jovovic to fill their vacant managerial seat. The Cairo giants were close to hiring former Belgium coach Franky Vercauteren last week, only to be snubbed by the 60-year-old who according to reports was not satisfied with the club's offer. Jovovic is now the frontrunner to take over at Zamalek, having caught the eyes when he helped Jordan's Faisaly reach the Arab Championship final early this month in a remarkable campaign that saw his side defeat Egypt's famed club Ahly twice. "I'm seeking permission from Al-Faisaly to sign Nebojsa," chairman Mortada Mansour, who is consistently blamed by Zamalek's fans for changing coaches too often, said on the club's official website. "All the details over that deal will be announced once we conclude it. A statement will be released in due course." Zamalek have limited time to find a replacement for sacked coach Augusto Inacio, with the Egyptian Premier League scheduled to kick off early next month. The White Knights have been on a downward slide since winning the domestic double in 2015, with too many managerial changes blamed by their fans for their failure to maintain that success in the past two seasons, with arch rivals Ahly winning the league two straight times. Zamalek have had 15 coaches since the election of President Mansour in 2014, including Mido, Hossam Hassan, Portuguese Jesualdo Ferreira and Scottish Alex McLeish. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
