CAIRO - Egypt's new technical coach Bob Bradley says that he is delighted to have been chosen to lead the African champions, promising to do his best to help the Egyptians achieve their dream of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "I am proud to be the Egyptian national team's new coach," Bradley told reporters, stressing that he knows that Egyptians are fond of soccer and that he will therefore do his best to please them. The Pharaohs, who have won the last three editions of the African Cup of Nations (ACN) have failed to qualify for the next edition in 2012; they've also failed to qualify for the World Cup finals since 1990. "After such three glorious ACN victories, I know I'll have a tough job. It is a challenge and exciting too,” Bradley was quoted as saying. “We understand the goal and the dream,” he told Modern Sport TV channel. The 53-year-old has revealed that the Egyptian Premier League boasts many talented players that he will begin to discover in the near future. "I will discover them and make full use of them," he said, pointing out that he will give these talented stars the chance to build a new, strong national team. The American coach has inked a three-year deal. “I have a plan to build such a new, strong team," he stressed, adding that this can be achieved by finding the right balance between the best young and old players. Bradley said that Egypt U-20 team that won the bronze medal in the African U-20 Championship 2011 and reached the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup in Colombia last summer contains many excellent players with first team potential. Concerning some reports that the US coach will focus mainly on the physical fitness of the players, he explained: “Not all the focus will be on fitness; we also need to concentrate on the technical and tactical aspects.” Bradley has not decided on which formation he would rely on in the coming period. “I know that most of the Egyptian teams play a 3-5-2 formation, but I was happy when the Egyptian U-20 team used the 4-4-2 formation in the U-20 World Cup in Colombia,” he commented. The former US coach will watch Egypt's next game in the African qualifiers against Niger on October 8, before the real start for him in the friendly against Brazil on November 15. The Egyptian national team will play two friendly matches against Brazil. “The first game will be in November 15 in Doha, the second in Cairo on February 28, 2012,” Samir Zaher, the Chairman of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), said. Bradley's contract with the Egyptian team runs until July 2014, but it will be automatically rescinded if Egypt failed to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations or the 2014 World Cup. "I will start following all the local games, whether those played in the league or in the African tournaments, keeping a lookout for players that might be suitable for the national team," he explained. He added that he already knows all about many impressive local stars, such as Ahmed Hassan, Essam el-Hadari, Wael Gomaa, Ahmed Fathi and Shikaballah.
