Dar es Salaam. In a major coaching development in North African football, Ismaily SC of Egypt has officially announced the appointment of Algerian tactician Miloud Hamdi as the new head coach of their senior football team.
The appointment marks the beginning of a new technical era for one of Egypt’s oldest and most passionate clubs as they gear up for the 2025/2026 Egyptian Premier League season.
The announcement was made on the club’s official Facebook page on the evening of Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Alongside a portrait of Hamdi, the caption read: “A new era… Miloud Hamdi as the Head Coach of Ismaily.”
The message, though brief, symbolised the ambition of a club eager to rise again after several underwhelming seasons.
Hamdi will take charge officially at the start of the team’s pre-season preparations.
He succeeds a coaching staff that oversaw a disappointing 2024/2025 campaign where Ismaily finished 13th in the Premier League table dangerously close to the relegation zone.
This move represents Hamdi’s return to North African football after an incredible stint in East Africa with Young Africans SC (Yanga SC) of Tanzania, where he enjoyed arguably the most successful spell of his career to date.
Having joined Yanga midway through the 2023/2024 season from Singida Black Stars, Hamdi replaced German coach Sead Ramovic.
In just 12 league matches under his command, Yanga recorded 10 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, en route to clinching their fourth consecutive Premier League title something the club hadn’t achieved in four decades.
But that was just the beginning. Hamdi went on to guide Yanga to a historic domestic treble lifting the Premier League, the CRDB Cup, and the Union Cup against JKU of Zanzibar.
In doing so, he became only the second coach in the club’s history to win all three major trophies in one season.
His coaching philosophy, which blends high-intensity pressing with fluid positional play, has earned him admiration across the continent.
At Yanga, he alternated between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 system, depending on the opposition, and empowered midfielders like Pacôme Zouzoua to play with creativity and authority.
A close source to Hamdi’s management team confirmed to The Bizlens that the coach has signed a one-year contract with Ismaily, with a salary package double what he was earning in Tanzania.
The package also includes housing, transport, and win bonuses reflecting the high expectations placed on him.
The Algerian will be supported by two trusted assistants: Hammadi Saghier, a Belgian assistant coach, and Marouane Silimani, a Tunisian fitness coach.
Both have worked with Hamdi previously and are expected to bring tactical cohesion and familiarity to the Egyptian side.
Efforts to speak with Hamdi immediately after the announcement were only partially successful, as the coach was traveling.
However, he later shared a brief but heartfelt statement with The Bizlens, giving insight into his feelings at the moment of departure from Yanga SC:
“Leaving Yanga is one of the hardest professional decisions I’ve had to make. This club welcomed me with open arms, and together we made history. The players, the fans, the management you gave me more than a job, you gave me a home. I will carry Yanga in my heart forever,” he noted.
“Now, a new challenge awaits at Ismaily a club with history, passion, and ambition. I am ready to give everything, just like I did in Tanzania. Thank you, Yanga. Let’s meet again in victory.”
As Yanga now begins the search for a new head coach, possibly from Morocco or South Africa, the club’s hierarchy remains confident that its project remains intact.
Yet, Hamdi’s departure leaves a legacy that won’t be forgotten a legacy of calm leadership, tactical brilliance, and silverware.
For Ismaily, this could be the dawn of a new competitive era. And for Hamdi, it is the latest chapter in a career that is steadily rising on the continental stage.
