AMSTERDAM — Former US national team head coach Bob Bradley was presented as the Egypt manager on Saturday afternoon, officially taking the most high profile foreign national team assignment ever handed to an American coach.
The 53-year-old New Jersey native inked a deal that will put him in charge of the Pharoahs through the 2014 World Cup, with two provisions. Egypt can cancel the remainder of the contract should Bradley fail to qualify the team for either the 2013 African Cup of Nations or the World Cup in Brazil.
"I'm proud to take over as coach of Egypt," Bradley told reporters at his unveiling in Cairo. "I'm looking forward to dealing with the players."
Egypt press officer Azmi Megahed confirmed that the former Chicago Fire and MetroStars coach will make €30,000 per month (just more than $40,000 at the current exchange rate), with a 10 percent annual raise. As previously reported by MLSsoccer.com, Bradley was first approached by the seven-time continental champs mere days after being let go by US Soccer in late July.
Bradley follows Steve Sampson (Costa Rica) and Ian Mork (Belize) as the third American-born manager to take international reins outside the United States umbrella of FIFA teams. Before initially taking the US job on an interim basis in 2006, he won the 1998 MLS Cup and two US Open Cups with Chicago.
With the USMNT, Bradley rang up a 43-25-12 record, winning the 2007 Gold Cup and a runners-up medal at the 2009 Confederations Cup. It was at that tourney, when the US bested Egypt 3-0 needing exactly that result to advance to the knockouts, where the Egyptian federation became impressed by the Princeton grad's methods.
He replaces Hassan Shehata, who had won three consecutive African Cup of Nations before failing to qualify for this year's edition. Bradley's first chance to lead Egypt onto the field will arrrive when Niger visit Cairo on October 8 to close out 2011 ACN qualifying.
Egypt are currently slated to begin 2014 World Cup qualifying next June 8 at Guinea, but fixtures are still being finalized. Also in Group G will be Zimbabwe and November's Comoros/Mozambique tie winner.
