Egypt's Al-Ahly appoint Danish coach Thorup

Egyptian champions Al-Ahly have appointed Danish coach Jess Thorup on a two-and-a-half-year deal, the club announced on Wednesday, after the dismissal of Spaniard Jose Riveiro.

Thorup, 55, has joined after leaving Bundesliga side FC Augsburg in May. His coaching resume includes stints with FC Copenhagen, Genk, Gent and Denmark’s Under-21 team.

Al-Ahly said Thorup will arrive in Cairo on Thursday, accompanied by two assistants, a physical trainer, technical analyst and goalkeeping coach. He is expected to officially assume his duties on Friday.

Riveiro, 49, was appointed in May on a two-year contract ahead of the Club World Cup in the US, but his tenure failed to meet expectations. Al-Ahly drew twice and lost to Brazil's Palmeiras, resulting in an early exit from the tournament.

In four Premier League matches under Riveiro, they had one win, two draws and a loss to African champions Pyramids.

However, the club have revived their fortunes under interim coach Emad El Nahhas and are now level on 18 points with league leaders Zamalek and El-Masry with a game in hand.