Qasem told FilGoal.com on Tuesday that he signed a contract with Olympic president Karam Kurdi but refused to elaborate on the financial terms of the agreement.

The former Zamalek skipper said that he will be assisted by assistant coach Halimo and that the technical staff that worked with former coach Mostafa Younes will stay intact.

Olympic have lost their first three games since being promoted to the premier league, yet Qasem believes this is no indication of the team's potential.

"It's too early to assess the team, and the three defeats don't mean Olympic will be relegated," he said. "There are still 27 games to go."

Former Ittihad coach Omar had turned down an offer to coach Olympic after watching the team lose 4-2 to Al-Gaish.

"I'm not one to run away from a challenge. That is why I decided to take charge of the team," said Qasem.

Qasem has worked as an assistant coach for Mohsen Saleh with the Egyptian national team and Kuwaiti outfit Al-Arabi. He also assisted veteran coach Otto Pfister during his spell with Zamalek.