Frosinone back Omar Fayed to make an impact after Egypt call-up

Frosinone sporting director Renzo Castagnini says the club are delighted that Omar Fayed has been selected for Egypt, despite the defender having made only one appearance for the Italian side so far.

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan called up Fayed for the September international break after Hamdy Fathi suffered an injury.

“We are happy that Omar Fayed has been called up by Egypt, even though he has not played enough minutes,” Castagnini told On Sport. “He is a very important player with a bright future and promising ability, and he is progressing well in Italy.”

Fayed has played just 28 minutes since joining Frosinone, with those minutes coming in the Coppa Italia. He also successfully converted a penalty in a shootout.

Asked about the limited playing time, Castagnini said the 23-year-old needed time to adjust to Italian football.

“Omar Fayed needs some time to adapt to the atmosphere of the Italian league,” he said. “We are confident that this will be a great season for him.”

Frosinone signed the former Fenerbahce defender during the summer transfer window on a four-year contract. Castagnini said the club had been convinced by the player’s physical and technical qualities.

“We signed him because we know he is a good player who can build a successful career in Italy,” he said. “He has strength, speed, height and tactical ability, so he is capable of playing in Italy.”

The sporting director added that foreign players generally needed time to settle into the demands of the Italian league.

“All foreign players who arrive from different clubs need to play for a period of time in order to adapt to the Italian league,” Castagnini said. “We know his ability very well, and he deserves to play this year and in the years to come.”

Castagnini also believes Fayed can operate in different defensive systems and does not need to be developed within one specific formation.

“He can play in any system, whether with a back three or a back four,” he said. “He does not need a particular system to adapt to, and he has a great opportunity to play.”

Egypt will face Angola and South Sudan on 25 and 29 September respectively in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, before playing South Africa in a friendly on 4 October.

Frosinone returned to the Italian top flight after an absence of two seasons. Fayed joined them from El Mokawloon, moving to Fenerbahce in the summer of 2023, but he did not make a single appearance for the Turkish club, who loaned him to several teams.

He played for Serbian club Novi Pazar during the 2023-2024 season, Belgian side Beerschot in 2024-2025 and Portuguese club Arouca in 2025-2026. Across those three seasons, Fayed made 38 league appearances in Serbia, Belgium and Portugal. He had previously played 28 matches for El Mokawloon.