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Tag: Egypt

  • Egypt bids to host 2019 AFCON

    Egypt bids to host 2019 AFCON

    Egypt on Thursday officially signaled its willingness to take over from Cameroon as hosts of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, a day before the deadline for candidates.

    The Egyptian Football Association, headed by Hany Abu Reida, sent an official letter to the Confederation of African Football, requesting to host the 2019 AFCON.

    Egypt first expressed its interest in hosting the tournament on Wednesday after Morocco – long thought to be interested in standing in for Cameroon – pulled out of contention in a surprise announcement.

    “We’ve sent an official letter to CAF after Morocco’s decision not to bid,” Magdy Abdel Ghany, EFA member, said.

    “Egypt is capable of hosting the African tournament; but sending the request doesn’t mean that we will host the championship,” Abdel Ghany added.

    EFA’s official account on Twitter announced the decision right after Magdy Abdel Ghany’s statement.

    “The Egyptian football federation declares its candidacy to host the 2019 African Nations Cup which is scheduled to take place in June and should have been organised by Cameroon which is not prepared to host it,” it said in a statement on Twitter and Facebook.

    According to Egypt Today sources, Egypt is bidding for the AFCON with six stadiums: Cairo, Air Defense, Borg el-Arab, Suez, Ismailia and Aswan.

    Youth and Sports minister, Ashraf Sobhy, earlier assured that Egypt was ready to host the 2019 AFCON but added that before any decision, EFA would reach an agreement with CAF.

    The Confederation of African Football stripped Cameroon of the tournament last month, citing delays in the construction of stadiums and infrastructure projects and question marks over security.

    The shortlist of countries bidding to host the tournament is expected to be unveiled on December 25.

    The 2019 tournament has been expanded to 24 teams for the first time, up from 16 at the 2017 edition in Gabon.

    Egypt have won the competition a record seven times and hosted AFCON four times before in 1957, 1974, 1986 and 2006.

  • Salah scores late winner as Egypt beat Tunisia, Morocco sink Cameroon

    Mohamed Salah scored a last-minute winner as Egypt came from behind to end Tunisia’s 100 percent record in African Nations Cup qualifying with a 3-2 win in Alexandria on Friday.

    Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0 in Casablanca and are now one point from a place in next year’s finals.

    Tiny Burundi moved a step closer to qualification for the first time with a 5-2 away win over South Sudan.

    Egypt and Tunisia had already secured their places at the finals by making sure of the top two spots in Group J.

    But their clash was still bristling with tension after last week’s victory for Tunisian club Esperance over Cairo’s Al Ahly in the African Champions League final.

    Naim Sliti scored the opener for Tunisia after 13 minutes but Egypt were level at the break after Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan equalised with a deflected shot.

    Baher El Mohamady put Egypt ahead with a 59th-minute header but fellow defender Ahmed Hegazy handed Sliti the chance to score his second with a poor clearance 18 minutes from time.

    Salah, who had a quiet match, then produced yet another last-gasp winner for his country in the 90th minute with a deft chip over the goalkeeper after a quick interchange of passes.

    Tunisia remained top of the group on the head-to-head countback with both countries on 12 points from five matches.

    Egypt have now won four matches since the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia under new coach Javier Aguirre.

    A hat-trick from Abdul Razak Fiston inspired Burundi to a comfortable win over South Sudan in Juba and top place in Group C with nine points from five games.

    Mali, on eight points, and Gabon, with seven, meet in Libreville on Saturday in the penultimate round of matches.

    Burundi have been reinforced in recent matches by Saido Berahino’s decision to switch international allegiance from England.

    But they would need a result at home to Gabon in their last qualifier in March to finish in the top two places and book a place in June’s finals in Cameroon.

    Berahino and Cedric Hamissi scored Burundi’s other goals while Atak Lual and Dominic Aboy Koni got South Sudan’s first goals of the campaign, although they remained without any points.

    Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech netted a 54th-minute penalty kick and struck with a shot from outside the box 12 minutes later to settle the heavyweight clash against Cameroon in Casablanca.

    Cameroon are playing the preliminaries in spite of qualifying for the tournament as hosts.

    2019 Africa Nations Cup qualifying continues across Africa on Saturday and Sunday with more countries set to join Cameroon, Egypt, Madagascar, Senegal and Tunisia in the 24-team finals line-up.

     

  • Egypt court upholds three-year jail term for ex-President Morsi

    Egypt’s top appeals court on Monday upheld a three-year prison sentence and hefty damages on deposed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on charges of insulting the judiciary, state media reported.
     
    The Court of Cassation also confirmed the same sentence for 19 other defendants in the same case.
     
    The initial sentence was issued in 2017 by the Cairo Criminal Court that convicted Morsi of defaming the judiciary in a televised speech he made in 2013 when he was in power.
     
    In his speech, Morsi accused a judge of overseeing fraud in previous elections.
     
    The criminal court had also ordered Morsi to pay one million Egyptian pounds (56,270 dollars) in damages to that judge.
     
    Five other defendants were ordered to pay a fine of 30,000 Egyptian pounds each in the case.
     
    They include Alaa Abdel-Fatah, a leading pro-democracy campaigner, who rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time dictator Hosny Mubarak.
     
    Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president was toppled by the army in mid-2013 following mass protests against his rule.
     
    He has been tried in several different cases since his ouster.
     
    Morsi is serving a final sentence of 20 years in prison in a separate case related to inciting deadly attacks on anti-Islamist protesters in 2012.
     
    In 2017, the Court of Cassation upheld a separate 25-year jail sentence for Morsi on charges of harming national security by leaking secret state documents to his ally Qatar while he was in office

  • Salah returns to Liverpool after limping out of Egypt qualifier

    Mohamed Salah has returned to Liverpool after he was injured during Egypt’s 4-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over eSwatini on Friday.

    The 26-year-old forward put Egypt 4-0 up shortly before half-time, scoring direct from a corner.
    Salah, who scored 44 times for Liverpool last season but is without a goal in his past four club appearances, later limped off with a muscle strain.
    The Reds’ next game is at Huddersfield on Saturday, 20 October.
    Egypt assistant coach Hany Ramzy told Bein Sports: “The initial diagnosis, according to the team doctor, is a strong muscle strain. It is not a tear. I think it is not serious.”
    BBC

  • Melania Trump shuns Nigeria as she begins 4-day visit to Africa

    Melania Trump on Monday afternoon boarded Executive One, the government jet assigned for her travel, and left the United States for Africa on her first major solo journey as first lady.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Melania is billed to visit Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt, with Nigeria left out of her itineraries.
    While details of her visit widely remain imprecise, the first lady is expected to make stops at local schools and hospitals visiting with children and taking in regional cultural experiences.
    Also, Melania is expected to be promoting her “Be Best” platform of helping kids in a broad spectrum of categories, ranging from wellness to cyberbullying.
    “When I launched ‘Be Best,’ it was with the goal of combating some of the issues that children face today by shining a spotlight on successful programs and organizations that teach children the tools and skills needed for emotional, social and physical well-being.
    “Since the launch, I have had the opportunity to meet children all over the world, with the goal of talking to them about the importance of healthy living and responsible habits,” the first lady stated in New York City last week.
    In Ghana and Malawi, Trump said in her remarks that she will focus on health care and education, joining on the trip with USAID to see which programs are working to support each country.
    Similarly, in Kenya, early education and disease prevention and care are on her agenda, as is conservation.
    In Egypt, Trump will likely visit that country’s most popular tourism site, the Great Pyramids.
    “I know that through USAID, we have worked with the people of Egypt to promote an environment in which all groups of society — including women and religious minorities — can lead productive and healthy lives,” she said.
     

  • Egypt’s record breaking 45-year-old goalkeeper retires

    Egypt’s record breaking 45-year-old goalkeeper retires

    Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who this summer set the record as the oldest player to feature at a World Cup, has retired from internationals.

    The 45-year-old, who won four Africa Cup of Nations, made his debut in 1996 and played 159 times for his country.

    He played Egypt’s final group game in Russia, saving a penalty in the Pharaohs’ 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia.

    “After 22 years, four months and 12 days, I saw it as the best moment to hang up my gloves,” said El-Hadary.

    “I am very proud to have played with the national team in 159 internationals, participating in unprecedented achievements.”

  • Egypt targets social media with new law

    Egypt targets social media with new law

    Egypt’s parliament has passed a law giving the state powers to block social media accounts and penalise journalists held to be publishing fake news.

    Under the law, social media accounts and blogs with more than 5,000 followers on sites such as Twitter and Facebook will be treated as media outlets, which makes them subject to prosecution for publishing false news or incitement to break the law.

    The Supreme Council for the Administration of the Media, headed by an official appointed by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, will supervise the law and take action against violations.

    The bill prohibits the establishment of websites without obtaining a license from the Supreme Council and allows it to suspend or block existing websites, or impose fines on editors.

    The law, which takes effect after it is ratified by Sisi, also states that journalists can only film in places that are not prohibited, but does not explain further.

    Supporters of Sisi say the law is intended to safeguard freedom of expression and it was approved after consultations with judicial experts and journalists.

    But critics say it will give legal basis to measures the government has been taking to crack down on dissent and extend its control over social media.

    Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the vague wording of the law allows authorities to interpret violations and control the media.

    “That power of interpretation has been a constant powerful legal and executive tool that was used to justify excessive aggressive and exceptional measures to go after journalists,” he told Reuters.

    Hundreds of news sites and blogs have been blocked in recent months and around a dozen people have been arrested this year and charged with publishing false news, many of them journalists or prominent government critics.

  • Salah will be fit for the World Cup – Egypt

    Injured Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will be fit to play some part at the World Cup, the Egyptian Football Association says.

    The Egyptian, 25, fractured his shoulder during Liverpool’s Champions League final loss to Real Madrid on Saturday, prompting concerns he might miss the tournament.

    But Egypt’s national team doctor has met with Salah and in a subsequent tweet the country’s FA said his absence “will not exceed” three weeks.

    Egypt’s opening World Cup fixture is against Uruguay on 15 June.

    They meet hosts Russia on 19 June and conclude the group stage against Saudi Arabia on 25 June.

    Salah also met with Egyptian FA president Hany Abu Rida on Wednesday.

    “After the meeting of Abu Rida and the doctor of the national team in Spain today, the Football Association reaffirms Salah in the World Cup, God willing, will not exceed the absence of three weeks,” the Egyptian FA tweeted.

    The forward struck a 95th-minute penalty in the final qualification game to send Egypt to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

    But in the Champions League final – the last fixture of a season in which he scored 44 goals for his club – he left the pitch in tears after landing heavily on his shoulder following a challenge by Sergio Ramos.

    At the time Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described the injury as “really serious”.

    However, the Egyptian FA has since said that Salah’s x-ray showed he had a “sprain in the shoulder ligaments” and that it was “optimistic” he would be fit for the World Cup.

  • World Cup 2018: I’ll be in Russia, says injured Mo Salah

    Liverpool football club and Egypt super star, Mo Salah has said against all odds he will partake in the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.

    This is coming after outspoken Saudi sports administartor, Turki Al-Sheikh claimed that the shoulder problem picked up by the Egyptian super star in the Champions League final will dash his World Cup hopes.

    Mohamed Salah will be sidelined for two months by the shoulder injury he sustained during Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid and miss Egypt’s World Cup campaign, according to Al-Sheikh.

    Salah was substituted after 30 minutes of Saturday’s showpiece encounter in Kiev, having grappled with Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and landed heavily on the turf.

    “It was a very tough night, but I’m a fighter,” Salah said, adding: “Despite the odds, I’m confident that I’ll be in Russia to make you all proud”.

    In his post-match interviews, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp expressed fears Salah would miss Russia 2018, but the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) tweeted a statement claiming there was “optimism” the Premier League Golden Boot winner would be fit for their Group A opener against Uruguay on June 15 after speaking to Liverpool officials.

    Al-Sheikh holds a number of administrative roles, including chairman of the Saudi Arabia Sport Authority and president of the Sports Federation of Islamic Solidarity.

    Until the end of last week he was an honorary president of Egyptian club Al-Ahly and is understood to have close links to the federation in the North African country.

    Al-Sheikh used social media to give a message of support to Salah before the final but, in a Facebook post on Sunday, he claimed the 25-year-old’s World Cup dream was over – at odds with the EFA’s official line.

    “With great sadness, sadly our great Arab star Mohamed Salah was confirmed in his absence [of] two months to injury, which means that he will miss the World Cup,” he said. “We wish him a speedy recovery.

    “I think that Liverpool will not allow Salah to take the cortisone because it is dangerous for the player in the long term and will press hard to complete the treatment for two months, which unfortunately means that we will not see the star Mohamed Salah in the World Cup.”

    Saudi Arabia have also been drawn in Egypt’s World Cup group alongside hosts Russia and Al-Sheikh caused controversy in March when, after Salah scored in a friendly versus Portugal, he tweeted to suggest it would be beneficial for the Liverpool favourite to miss the round-robin match against the Gulf state.

    “When it comes to Twitter, I speak as fan and not as a minister,” he told Four Four Two Arabia when discussing the incident this month.

    “When I commented on the Saudi team, it was because of excitement. I may make mistakes and I might be right and I might be harsh in some of the terms I use.

    “But when it comes to Mohamed Salah, he’s a great Arab player and has allowed us to lift our heads high as Arabs. I am a fan.

    “But what I wish is he wouldn’t play against our team during that match [at the World Cup]. I want to miss him during this match, just this match.”

     

  • Egypt, Russia resume direct flights after halt of more than 2 years

    Direct flights between Moscow and Cairo resumed on Thursday, more than two years after Russia banned flights to Egypt in response to a terrorist attack.

    A plane from Russian carrier Aeroflot flying from Moscow landed early Thursday at Cairo airport with 120 passengers aboard, sources at the airport said.

    Hours later, an Egypt Air flight with 109 passengers departed Cairo to Moscow, the sources added.

    Egypt was a major Russian tourist destination until Russia stopped flights to the country in November 2015 after a Russian passenger plane crashed in the restive Sinai Peninsula, shortly after taking off from the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh.

    All 224 people on board were killed. The extremist Islamic State militia claimed responsibility for downing the airliner.

    Aeroflot and EgyptAir were originally scheduled to begin operating flights between Moscow and Cairo in February, but the resumption of flights was postponed several times as Russia required more security measures at Egyptian airports.

    Russian flights to Egyptian resorts remain suspended.

    Russia’s ban had crippled Egypt’s ailing tourism industry, a main source of national income.

    In recent months, Russian security experts have regularly inspected Egyptian airports to ensure tightened security measures are in place before reopening the route.

    NAN