Egypt FA on the verge of collapse, resignations rock federation over AFCON defeat

The Egypt Football Association (EFA) is on the verge of collapse after several board member resignations rocked the country's governing body, following in the footsteps the President of the federation in the wake of their shock defeat to underdogs South Africa at 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

With four board members resigning along with the President of the federation, just one more resignation means the 11-member EFA board cannot form a quorum which will automatically make it defunct, according to its constitution.

Executive Director of the EFA, Tharwat Sweilem, will then take charge as interim President of the federation for the next three months before elections are held, insiders have said.

Hani Abou Rida resigned as the EFA President on Saturday night and called on the members of the board of directors to submit their resignations after the host country was knocked out in the Round of 16.

Four board members responded to the demands of their leader and Hazem Imam, Saif Zaher, Ahmed Mujahid and Khalid Latif announced their official resignations.

Karam Karam, Issam Abdel Fattah and Majdi Abdel Ghani, declined to resign.

With the trio of Karam, Abdel Fattah and Abdel Ghani retreating, the quorum of the governing body of the Football Federation remains intact, with only five members resigning and six remaining.

However the status of the trio of Ahmed Shubair, vice president of the federation, Dina Rifai and Mohammed Abu Al-Wafa will be known later on Sunday and if just one of them joins the resignation boat, the EFA board collapses.

The constitution of the EFA stipulates that in the case of the resignation of the Board of Directors or a number of its members, which leads to the loss of quorum, the board becomes dissolved.

The EFA loses its legal status and becomes defunct in the case of the resignation of half of its members, which has not happened so far with the resignation of four members and the president only, out of 11 members.

The Regulation also provides that the Executive Director of the EFA, Tharwat Sweilem, will manage the affairs of the Federation as its interim President for a period of three months before elections are held for the governing council.

Abou Rida, who is a member of the FIFA Council and CAF Executive Committee, revealed that he will continue to chair the Local Organising Committee of the tournament until it ends on 19 July.

The respected administrator threw in the towel two hours after the host country was shockingly eliminated by underdogs in Cairo on Saturday night despite the massive home support.

The Pharaohs were bundled out of the tournament at the Round of 16 after suffering the surprising 1-0 defeat to the confident Bafana Bafana who now book their place in the quarter-finals with the late winner in Cairo.

With Egypt throwing players forward, Thembinkosi Lorch struck on the counter-attack after 85 minutes leading to the disaster for the home side.

South Africa knocked hosts Egypt out of the tournament and booked their place in the quarter-finals with a late winner in Cairo when Thembinkosi Lorch struck on the counter-attack after 85 minutes