Ali Maher could not have asked for a better start. Egypt tore Malawi apart 5-0 at Cairo International Stadium to open their new coach's era in Group Two of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The third-round win lifted the Pharaohs to seven points and top of the group. Malawi stayed frozen on three, down in third place.
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Egypt came out pressing from the first whistle. Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute, latching onto a Mohamed Salah pass, but he spurned a clear chance and dragged his effort past the right post.
The opener did not take long. Nasser Maher found the net in the sixth minute, and Omar Marmoush doubled the lead just four minutes later, handing Egypt an early cushion and piling the pressure on Malawi.
Two goals to the good, Egypt took a grip on possession and hunted for more.
Malawi did try to fight their way back. Richard Mbulu threatened Mostafa Shobier's goal in the 22nd minute with a powerful strike, but the Pharaohs' keeper pulled off a brilliant save to keep his clean sheet intact.
Hossam Abdelmaguid picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute. Nasser Maher kept probing and nearly grabbed his second in the 27th, firing a fierce shot from outside the box that flashed past the left post.
Mohamed Hany made it three in the 38th minute, lashing a powerful shot from outside the penalty area into the net. Three unanswered goals handed the hosts a commanding lead before the break.
Salah brace
Egypt carried their dominance into the second half. Malawi failed to muster any danger and the game became bogged down in midfield.
Trabzonspor star Mohamed Salah wanted his moment. He headed home the fourth in the 84th minute, meeting a well-weighted cross from substitute Ibrahim Adel.
Salah was not done. He tucked away the fifth from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, after Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim won the spot-kick, rounding off a sweeping 5-0 victory.
The Pharaohs had opened the qualifiers with a goalless home draw against Angola before thrashing South Sudan 5-0 away in the second round of Group Two.
Today's win arrived against a backdrop of fierce controversy. The sacking of former coach Hossam Hassan followed a run of crises in his final months with the Pharaohs: his row with Mohamed Salah and Football Association vice-president Khaled El-Darandaly, plus the storm he sparked with his remarks about Al-Ahly and Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy.