Barely three months after taking charge of Telecom SC, Head Coach Aliyu Zubair has guided the Egyptian side to a historic milestone, securing their first-ever qualification to the quarter-finals of the Egyptian Cup.

Telecom SC sealed the landmark achievement with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Pharco on Tuesday in the Round of 16, further underlining the remarkable impact Zubair has made since his arrival.

The latest triumph follows an even more stunning result earlier in the competition, when Telecom knocked out Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the Round of 32 — a shock outcome that reverberated across Egyptian football and announced Zubair’s immediate influence on the team.

Displaying composure and tactical discipline, Telecom SC opened the scoring in the 17th minute through Eid Ahmed, capitalising on their early dominance. Nigerian forward Nwanna Okechukwu doubled the advantage shortly after the break in the 46th minute, putting Telecom firmly in control of the contest.

Although Karim El Tayeb pulled one back for Pharco in the 54th minute, Zubair’s side remained resolute, defending with organisation and confidence to see out the match and book a place in the quarter-finals.

Appointed in October last year, Zubair has wasted no time in transforming Telecom SC into a fearless, well-drilled unit capable of competing with the best teams in Egypt.
His achievements in Egypt build on an impressive coaching record in Nigeria,

where he won the Nigerian Federation Cup with Elkanemi Warriors and achieved the rare feat of guiding two different clubs — Gombe United and Elkanemi Warriors — to promotion into the top flight.

Beyond club football, Zubair also serves as Head Coach of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, earning widespread praise for his ability to develop young talents while instilling tactical discipline and a winning mentality.

With Telecom SC now firmly among the last eight in the Egyptian Cup, Coach Aliyu Zubair’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s most promising and astute young tacticians continues to gather momentum.