Brighton teenager Younes Ibrahim wanted by Egypt for next camp

The Egyptian Football Association is stepping up efforts to call up Brighton midfielder Younes Ibrahim for the national team’s next training camp, according to a source within the governing body.

The 18-year-old made his first-team debut for Brighton in their 4-0 victory over Lithuanian side Kauno Zalgiris in the opening round of the league phase of the Conference League.

Ibrahim came on in the 67th minute, replacing Ghanaian forward Ibrahim Osman after Osman suffered an injury. He also created a goal in the same minute that Matt O’Riley entered the match.

A source from the Egyptian Football Association told FilGoal.com: “We are intensifying our efforts to include Younes Ibrahim, the Brighton player, in the next camp.”

The source added: “We have contacted him more than once and he wants to be with the Egypt national team.”

The appearance was Ibrahim’s first involvement for Brighton’s senior side. He had been named on the bench once during the current season, for the Premier League match against Coventry City in the fourth round, but did not play.

Earlier, Wasim Ahmed, a member of the Egyptian Football Association’s Professional Players Committee, described Ibrahim as a promising talent during an interview with On Sport 2.

“Younes Ibrahim is an outstanding player and a new discovery for Egyptian football,” Ahmed said. “He holds four nationalities: Egyptian through his parents, Moroccan through his grandmother, as well as Australian and English.”

Brighton’s win over Kauno Zalgiris gave them their first three points of the competition. They moved to the top of the standings on goal difference, ahead of several other teams.