Egyptian FA refers Orange appeal to appeals committee as eight officials suspended

The Egyptian Football Association has referred Orange’s appeal against its exclusion from the 2026-27 competitions to its appeals committee, while suspending eight of the club’s coaches and administrators over incidents at the association’s headquarters.

The decision was approved at the Egyptian FA’s meeting on Tuesday. The appeals committee will now consider the complaint submitted by Orange Sports for Sports Services and Sports Investment and take whatever action it considers appropriate under its jurisdiction and the relevant regulations.

The Egyptian FA’s board voted to exclude Orange from all association competitions for the 2026-27 sporting season because the club had not fulfilled the legal licensing requirement needed to conduct sporting activities.

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

The Egyptian FA said Orange had still not provided evidence of holding a valid licence to conduct sporting activity by 13 August 2026. As a result, the club was deemed not to have met one of the legal conditions required to take part in competitions organised by the association.

Orange responded by issuing a statement rejecting the Egyptian FA’s decision to remove it from the competitions it organises.

As part of the measures linked to the exclusion, the Egyptian FA also removed the registration restrictions on all players listed and registered with Orange for the 2026-27 season. The club’s players are therefore now available to move to other teams and complete their registration procedures in accordance with the applicable regulations.

Orange had published videos showing players and coaches gathering inside the Egyptian FA’s headquarters in an attempt to resolve the dispute. The association said the events at its headquarters on 17 August 2026 involved a number of coaches and administrators, and approved a memorandum from its legal department concerning those incidents.

Eight Orange coaches and administrators have been suspended and referred to the disciplinary committee. They are head coach Hussein Mahmoud Sweilem Selim; assistant coach El-Sayed Ali El-Sayed Ali; general manager of the football sector Mohamed Osama Ahmed Zidan; goalkeeping coach Ali Mohsen Ali Hussein; fitness coach Mohamed Hassan Ezzat Rashed; administrative director Wael Mohamed Mohamed Abdel Gawad; player affairs administrator Hafez Masry Hafez Abdel Sayed; and coach Mahmoud Oweis Eid Moatamed.

The disciplinary action and the referral to the appeals committee come before the new season’s competitions have begun, meaning Orange will not participate in the Egyptian FA’s tournaments in 2026-27.

Orange had been expected to compete in the Egyptian Third Division. The club had previously been given time by the Egyptian FA to regularise its position before its licence was permanently withdrawn.

In recent days, Orange played الزمالك in a friendly match and suffered a 4-0 defeat.