A LOT of support going for Egypt & Morocco is being driven by religious allegiance, not love for the game of football or the thrill of backing the underdog. And that's the unfortunate part in it. Fact.
So let me get this straight........
Your team has a 2-0 lead up until the 79th minute, and then you go ahead to concede 3 goals in about 15 minutes, and you say it is rigged.
During those 15 minutes, no one tied you down not to defend, the ref didn't give a penalty, in fact you had about two different occasions to attack.
But somehow, you have it in your head that the almighty FIFA waited until the last 15 minutes to start rigging a 90 minutes competition.
@Hossam9Hassan Egypt is a better team without you. You ruined the momentum. Step down loser and let someone else take charge and bring glory to Egypt. You're nothing but a pathetic loser that doesn't deserve to coach a wonderful team. You're trash.
The Egyptian Football Association released a video titled: βThe Secret to Victory.β
They openly declare that the key to victory is to begin each match by cursing Christians and Jews.
Before every game, the team gathers to recite Quranic passages describing Christians and Jews as infidels under Allahβs wrath.
Coptic Christians make up 15% of Egyptβs population, yet they are not allowed on the national team.
Now, the Islamic team of Egypt has been eliminated by the βinfidelβ nation of Argentina. Allah was not on their side.
The Egyptian Football Association released a video titled: βThe Secret to Victory.β
They openly declare that the key to victory is to begin each match by cursing Christians and Jews.
Before every game, the team gathers to recite Quranic passages describing Christians and Jews as infidels under Allahβs wrath.
Coptic Christians make up 15% of Egyptβs population, yet they are not allowed on the national team.
Now, the Islamic team of Egypt has been eliminated by the βinfidelβ nation of Argentina. Allah was not on their side.
Since all eyes are on the Egyptian team today, itβs worth reminding the world that Christians are practically banned from playing top level football in Egypt.
Despite being 10% of the population, only two Christians have played the national team in the past 36 years. Not a single one has played for Egypt since 2003.
The former Ajax striker Mido said in 2018 that the discrimination is obvious and that only 5 Christians have ever plaid in Egyptβs top clubs. He suggested a 10% quota for Copts should be introduced in all clubs to end the discrimination.
Ironically, the Egyptian coach made the new βX for racism-signβ recently introduced by FIFA during todayβs game to signal to the referee that the Egyptian team was experiencing racism.
But religious discrimination has clearly never bothered him.
FIFA has also been unwilling to do anything about the longstanding issue of severe underrepresentation and systemic discrimination against Christians at youth, club and national levels in Egypt.
Christians are effectively excluded in practice, with virtually none reaching the senior national team or top domestic clubs in recent decades.
The exception is Hany Ramzy. The a Christian defender who earned 120+ caps for Egypt in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Estimates suggest that fewer than a dozen Copts have played at the highest domestic level in the last 50+ years.
Multiple independent reports, player testimonies and comments from figures like Coptic Pope Tawadros II and Muslim former player Ahmed Hossam (βMidoβ) have highlighted the discrimination:
- Youth trials and club signings where Christian names lead to rejection or pressure to change to a Muslim-sounding name.
- Stories of players hiding tattoos (the common Coptic cross on the wrist) or identity in their efforts to advance.
- Similar underrepresentation is also noticeable in other sports (zero Copts in Egyptβs 2016 Rio Olympics delegation of 122 athletes)
The Egyptian coach made a big point of flying the Palestinian flag in the World Cup and keeps repeating βFree Palestine.β
Yet, he has never spoken about the fact that Egypt didnβt give sovereignty to the Palestinians in Gaza when Egypt was occupying it 1948-1967. Likewise, while he wonβt stop claiming that there is discrimination of Muslims in Israel, he refuses to acknowledge the religious discrimination in Egyptian football.