Egypt rejects Zambia football match over Israeli coaches
2 Min Read
Egypt cancels a friendly match against Zambia, citing the presence of Israeli coaches amid the war on Gaza and regional tensions.
-
A ball boy looks at Zambia's national team players and Sudan's national team players as they stand, at the start of the African Cup of Nations quarter finals soccer match in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 (AP)
The Egyptian Football Association rejected a proposal for a friendly match against Zambia because the coaching staff of the Zambian team includes Israelis, Egyptian media reported on Wednesday.
The objection was not directed personally at head coach Avram Grant, who had previously coached Ghana, or his assistant Eyal Lachman, but rather at the wider political situation they represent.
According to the reports, the game was scheduled for the November international break, which takes place after the African World Cup qualifiers and serves as a preparatory match ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, to be held in Morocco from late December through mid-January.
Zambia frequently competes against Arab and Muslim nations with no normalization ties with "Israel", some of which maintain openly hostile relations; however, Egyptian officials, citing the ongoing war in Gaza and broader regional tensions, confirmed these factors as the reason for the cancellation.
Scrutiny against "Israel" has been rising in the football world, most recently when the Italian Coaches’ Association (AIAC) formally called on FIFA and UEFA to suspend "Israel" from international football tournaments, citing moral responsibility due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
In a letter addressed to Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina, AIAC president Renzo Ulivieri stated that the decision was unanimous among the association’s national board and described it as a "necessary choice" driven by a "moral imperative".
“The values of humanity, which underpin those of sport, compel us to oppose acts of oppression with terrible consequences,” Ulivieri stated, calling on FIFA and UEFA to take action against "Israel".
