Zamalek reach agreement to sign Morocco and Ittihad Tangier winger Abdel Hamid Maali

Egyptian giants Zamalek have reached an agreement to sign Morocco and Ittihad Tangier winger Abdel Hamid Maali in the ongoing transfer window.

The 19-year-old winger is joining Zamalek on a five-year deal to bolster the team ahead of the 2025/26 football campaign.

Having engaged the Egyptian Football Association over the registration process of the foreigner, Zamalek are said to be on the right path to add the rising Moroccan star to their ranks for the new season.

Maali will be registered as a foreign player under the age of 18, with Zamalek insisting on it’s right. The club is expected to officially contact the Egyptian FA to obtain a decisive response to resolve the matter.

Zamalek currently has five foreign players over the age of 18. The players included Mahmoud Bentayek, Ahmed El-Gafaly, Chico Banza, Seifeddine Jaziri, and Salah Musaddaq.

Maali is 19 years old, born in March 2006, which has raised questions about whether the player is registered on the first team roster, rather than in the youth categories as previously reported.

Controversy over this point increased after the Egyptian Football Association confirmed in its registration instructions for the new season that three foreign players will be registered in each age group. The association specified those age groups as being for players born in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

The Egyptian Football Association also announced a competition for players born in 2005, with 25 players registered on each team’s roster.

Interpretations differed on this point, regarding the possibility of registering foreign players in the 2005 generation.