Bradley 'proud' to manage Egyptian football team

American football coach Bob Bradley said he was "proud" to manage Egypt's national team after arriving in Cairo on Wednesday to finalise a deal to succeed his enormously popular predecessor, Egyptian team manager Hassan Shehata. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is expected to formally announce Bradley’s appointment within the next few hours. "I’m very happy and proud to coach Egypt, which boasts many talented players," Bradley told Egyptian media after sitting down with EFA chairman Samir Zaher. "I visited Egypt before to negotiate the terms of the deal with Mr. Zaher, and I watched some training sessions and matches for Egyptian teams. "The calibre of the Egyptian Premier League is high. I also intend to watch the coming Egyptian Cup games," he added. Bradley, who will be the first American to coach the Egyptian team, will be burdened with the task of ending Egypt's long wait for a World Cup appearance. Since 1990, the Pharaohs have failed to qualify for football’s most prestigious event. Shehata led Egypt to three consecutive African Cup of Nations titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010 - an unprecedented feat - but failed to steer them into last year’s World Cup. Bradley helped the US national team win the Gold Cup in 2007 and reach the FIFA Confederations Cup final two years later in South Africa, where it lost to traditional heavyweight Brazil.