Zamalek board decided to hand over the club s managerial position to an Egyptian coach, but is waiting for his approval to make the official announcement.
The men in white stepped up their efforts to sign a new coach following Henri Michel s shocking resignation this morning.
We have settled on the new coach but are waiting for his reply. Everything will become clear in the next few hours, Zamalek spokesman Khaled Gabr told FilGoal.com.
By Tuesday the new coach will be known to everybody.
A host of names have been linked with the post, but Egyptian veteran coach Mahmoud Al-Gohari remains the favorite to take over at the Cairo giants helm.
The 70-year-old manager has been tracked by the Egyptian Football Association to work as a technical adviser to national teams after he resigned from his post as Jordan boss.
According to Egyptian media, he was close to agreeing on the new role but Zamalek s managerial position could be appealing to Al-Gohari, who guided Egypt to their second ever appearance in the World Cup during the 1990 Italy finals.
Al-Gohari had a successful spell with Zamalek in the early 1990s, guiding Zamalek to an African Champions League triumph as well as the African Super Cup title at the expense of arch-rivals Ahli.
Former ENPPI coach Taha Basri is also linked despite Ismaili s assertion that he agreed to coach the Dervishes following Patrice Neveu s sacking.
If Zamalek fail to sign a high-profile coach, they will be forced to appoint a caretaker as the Egyptian League starts in a week s time.
The Egyptian League runners-up begin their new campaign against Ismaili so they will need a quick decision regarding the club s new manager.
Mahmoud Abou-Regeila and Mahmoud Saad are known for their readiness to save Zamalek whenever the club endures a crisis.
Ahmed Ramzi is also a name to be considered, having worked with many Zamalek coaches over the past few years.
His last spell with Zamalek came last season when he worked as an assistant to Portuguese manager Manuel Cajuda.
