CAIRO (Egypt) - Ahmed Marei has been handed a nine-month contract to serve as the new Egypt head coach ahead of the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers that commence in February next year. 

The 60-year old, who is fresh from winning the Arab Club Basketball Championship with Al Ittihad Alexandria, returns to the helm of the Pharaohs side with the obvious task of qualifying the team to the continent's biggest showpiece set to be held in Rwanda as well as making sure Egypt qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023. 

Marei has his work cut out after the North African outfit came close but yet so far from featuring at this year's edition in China - a disappointing run for the current youthful team. 

 "WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THE WORLD CUP. WE SHALL USE EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WHILE ALSO BRINGING UP YOUNG ONES. HOWEVER, THE EXPERIENCED AND OLDER PLAYERS WILL HAVE TO BE FIT TO MAKE THE CUT."- Marei

Marei's first assignment is to guide Egypt in the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers that tip off in the first international window of 2020 from February 17-25. 

The Pharaohs have been drawn in Group E along with fellow North African giants Morocco, Uganda and the winner of FIBA Africa Zone 3 Pre-Qualifiers that has Ghana, Liberia and Niger contesting for the one available slot. 

Egypt, already know the strength of the Moroccans and even if they got a double win over them in 2017 and 2018 in the first round of qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, Marei knows better than to write them off. 

He said categorically, "Morocco is one of the best teams in Africa. They have about seven to nine players from the same team and that helps a lot with team chemistry. We have to keep an eye on them. Uganda on the other hand has been rising recently and is a team to take note of. We shall try to prepare very well for the Qualifiers."

Qualifying for the [FIBA] AfroBasket is the first step to entering the World Cup qualification stages and Marei is aware that his ultimate goal will begin with the small steps. It is a marathon and not a sprint for his technical staff and the players and every small detail will matter in the grand scheme of things. 

"The success of our youth teams recently puts immense pressure on us as a team. The image of a nation is represented by the men's senior team and because of that, we must step up to the occasion and show what Egypt is all about," he explained deeply. 

Egypt dethroned Mali to win the FIBA U16 African Championship this year in Cape Verde in July while the girls finished second to Mali in Kigali in August. 

Marei believes that coaching both a club and the national team gives him an added advantage of understanding all the players which will then give him good insight on who to select when he finally is faced with the decision of naming a roster. 

Wesam Gaber and Mohamed Selim are his first and second assistants in that order. Gaber was also his first assistant back in May 2015 when he took over the Pharaohs side. 

The Egypt Basketball Federation will organize a one-week training camp in Alexandria at the end of January 2020 before the team goes abroad for another one in preparation for the [FIBA] AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers. 

FIBA