Portuguese coach Manuel Jose Da Silva will return to Cairo on 27 March to resume his role as head of the talent scouting team during the second season of Copa Coca-Cola. The world-renowned coaching veteran said he was excited to meet his scouting team and filter through young players to select a team to send to a professional football training camp in Sao Paolo, Brazil and attend the opening ceremony and match of the FIFA World Cup.
“It is important for young talents to give everything to football in front of representatives from top division Egyptian clubs and scouts headed by the Portuguese legend,” said Mohamed El-Seiffy, Copa Egypt team manager.
About 32,000 players from 200 youth centres spanning 25 Egyptian governorates have participated in the tournament. Da Silva and his scouting network progressively filtered the number of players from 1,000 to an initial count of 50.
Da Silva’s arrival marks the start of a series of physical, technical and psychological tests using the highest international footballing benchmarks. He will be attending the trials to test the selected talents and ensure that they have what it takes to become members of Egypt’s 2022 national team. The winning players will get a chance to attend a professional football training camp in Sao Paolo, Brazil and attend the opening match and ceremony at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“This entire experience is very beneficial for players. Entering the spotlight and having a rare experience at such a young age will help these talents mature and benefit their clubs and the Egyptian national team when they are at the appropriate age. This is a very thrilling experience and getting to work with young players is always a privilege,” the Portuguese coach said.
Coca-Cola signed a deal with Da Silva to head the scouting network on 22 February.
