Orange reinstated in Egypt’s Second Division temporarily after CAS ruling

Orange have been temporarily reinstated in Egypt’s Second Division for the 2026-27 season following an interim ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Egyptian Football Association has announced.

The federation said the club would return to competition while the legal dispute is considered and before CAS issues its final decision.

Orange said it had received a ruling from the international sports arbitration court confirming its right to take part in domestic competitions. The club also said the ruling required the Egyptian Football Association to return it to the Egyptian Third Division.

However, the federation’s official statement said the immediate consequence of the CAS decision on interim measures would be Orange’s temporary participation in the Second Division during the 2026-27 sporting season.

The return follows a decision by the Egyptian Football Association’s board to exclude Orange from its competitions for 2026-27. That decision was based on the club allegedly failing to meet the legal licensing requirement needed to conduct sporting activities.

In its statement, the federation said it accepted the CAS ruling and would take the necessary steps to implement it.

“”In light of the decision issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concerning the interim measures relating to Orange, the Egyptian Football Association confirms its full respect for all levels and means of litigation applicable within the international football system, and its constant commitment to complying with the judgments and decisions issued by the competent judicial authorities.

“”Based on the decision issued regarding the interim measures, the federation will take the necessary executive procedures, which will result in the return of Orange to participation in the Second Division competition for the 2026/2027 sporting season, on a temporary basis, until the substance of the dispute is decided and the final ruling is issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“”At the same time, the federation wishes to emphasise that the previous decision to exclude Orange from the competition was not issued unilaterally or arbitrarily. Rather, it was based on a letter from the Ministry of Youth and Sports concerning the club’s legal status, which stated that the club had not obtained the licence required to conduct sporting activities, in accordance with the provisions of the Sports Law and the regulations governing sporting activity.

“”The federation confirms that all the procedures it took in this matter were carried out in accordance with Egyptian law and the regulations governing football, in a manner that protects the integrity and stability of the competitions, without breaching any applicable legal provisions or rules.

“”The Egyptian Football Association reiterates its full respect for and commitment to implementing the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while reserving its right to present its legal grounds and defences before the court examining the substance of the case, pending the conclusion of the judicial proceedings and the final resolution of the dispute.””

The federation’s latest position means Orange can participate while the wider case remains unresolved. The temporary arrangement will stay in place until CAS reaches a final judgment on the dispute.

The original exclusion had followed the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ position that Orange did not possess the necessary licence to operate as a sporting organisation. The federation maintains that its decision was taken under Egyptian law and the football regulations, rather than being an arbitrary ruling against the club.