A newly-elected board of directors will be running Egyptian football for the next four years, writes Inas Mazhar Samir Zaher has returned as president of the Egyptian Football Federation. Zaher, who was in charge in the mid-1990s, won the hotly-contested election with a majority 38 votes, just 10 votes ahead of his nearest rival Hadi Fahmi. Another former president, El-Dahshouri Harb, received 16 votes. Former national team captain, goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir, was elected vice president. Shobeir received the highest number of votes, 71, as opposed to just 11 votes for former national team captain and Ahli club striker Taher Abou Zeid. Ahmed Shaker was elected EFA treasurer. The board comprised Hazem El-Hawari, Magdi Abdel-Ghani, Ayman Younes and Mahmoud Bakr in addition to three who were later appointed by the youth minister -- Ali Hefzi, Ihab Talaat and Nadia Makram Ebeid , the former minister of environment. Zaher was president of the EFA when Egypt claimed the 1998 African Nations Cup in Burkina Faso. But he and the entire federation would be forced to resign en masse after Egypt was pounded 5-1 by Saudi Arabia in a Continental Cup clash in 1999. Zaher's immediate task is to prepare to host the African Nations Cup in January as the national team eyes a record fifth title. The new board started work on Monday. The first order of business was the national team's preparations for Egypt's crucial World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast in Abidjan on Sunday. Also on the agenda was the new national league system and the appointment of Mahmoud El-Gohari as the federation's technical manager. Zaher took over from Essam Abdel-Moneim whose temporary post as president lasted 15 months.
