Egyptian FA president Samir Zaher has been relieved of his duties, as vice-chairman Hani Abou-Rida stepped in temporarily, the National Sports Council (NSC) announced. Abou-Rida, a member of the FIFA executive committee, will be in charge until the upcoming FA elections in September. Zaher was immediately sacked after NSC received a verdict from the Supreme Administrative Court that he was ineligible run for the post in 2008. The court said Zaher's criminal record, which includes convictions against him in the past, made him ineligible to stand for the election. Egypt won the African Cup of Nations three times in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010 during Zaher's two spells at the helm. He was also praised for generating income for Egyptian clubs through selling the league's broadcasting rights to several TV networks. However, critics sharpened the knives for him during the past year after many disputes erupted in domestic football. Zaher would have stepped down as the EFA president anyway in 2011 because regulations would not have allowed him to remain in his post for a third successive stint.
