Egyptian FA exclude Orange from 2026-27 competitions and release players

The Egyptian Football Association has excluded Orange from all of its competitions for the 2026-27 season after the club failed to obtain the legal licence required to operate as a sports organisation.

The decision was taken by the EFA board on Saturday, 15 August, in a meeting chaired by Hany Abu Rida. It followed a review of Egypt’s Sports Law No. 71 of 2017 and its amendments, the association’s statutes, regulations governing its competitions and player registration, and correspondence from the Ministry of Youth and Sports concerning Orange’s legal status.

Orange’s original deadline to regularise its position and secure the necessary licence expired on 16 July. The club was then granted an additional period by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, but that extension ended on 13 August.

The EFA said Orange had not submitted evidence that it held a valid licence to conduct sporting activities by 13 August 2026. As a result, the club no longer met one of the legal conditions required to take part in competitions organised by the association.

The board stated that a valid legal licence is essential both to conduct sporting activities and to participate in EFA competitions. It therefore ruled that Orange could not be involved in those competitions while failing to satisfy the requirement.

As part of the same decision, the EFA removed the registration restrictions on every player listed in Orange’s squad for the 2026-27 season. The players are now free to move to and register with any other club they choose, subject to the relevant regulations and procedures.

The association said the measure was intended to protect the players’ rights. Keeping them registered with a club that was not legally eligible to compete would have prevented them from playing and moving elsewhere, despite the fact that they were not responsible for Orange’s legal position.

The EFA board said its decision was designed to preserve equal treatment and stability across its competitions while ensuring that players did not bear the consequences of a legal issue affecting their club.

The association’s departments have been instructed to carry out the necessary administrative measures. Those steps include updating registration records and allowing the players concerned to complete transfers and registrations with their chosen clubs, in accordance with EFA rules and FIFA regulations on the status and transfer of players.

The decision came into force on 15 August 2026, the date on which it was issued, and cancelled any previous provisions that conflicted with it.

Orange therefore leaves the EFA competitions before the new season begins, while its players can seek new clubs and complete their registrations under the applicable rules.

The club had been expected to compete in the Egyptian Third Division this season. Before the ruling, Orange had also played a friendly against Zamalek in recent days, losing 4-0.

The EFA had previously given Orange time to regularise its position before withdrawing its licence permanently.