CAIRO: Zamalek midfielder Mohamed Abdullah turned down overtures from Masri, who offered to sign him starting next season. The Cairo club s board convened on Thursday to discuss the summer offers they received, including Masri s bid for Abdullah. The 28-year-old made it loud and clear that he wouldn t accept any local offers except …

JOHANNESBURG: Police and the hotel where the Egypt team have been staying during the Confederations Cup are looking into allegations that some of the players had money stolen from their rooms. Protea Hotels issued a statement saying they were co-operating with police after a report that several players found cash missing when they returned after …

JOHANNESBURG: Egypt hailed its shock victory over world champions Italy in the Confederations Cup as one of its best ever, but for Marcello Lippi s men it was a disaster. The African Nations Cup holders stunned the Italians 1-0 late on Thursday as they cracked under pressure to leave their tournament fate in limbo. Mohamed …

JOHANNESBURG: Five members of Egypt s football team had their hotel rooms burgled, police said Friday. Egypt upset Italy 1-0 at the Confederations Cup on Thursday, but returned to their hotel to find that some things were missing, National police spokeswoman Sally De Beer said. Only one of the five rooms had cash, she said, …

IRENE: Egypt’s stunning 1-0 victory over World Cup champions Italy means that both Brazil and Italy are in danger of being eliminated in the Group Stage of the Confederations Cup. Defending Confederations Cup champion Brazil currently leads Group B with six points. Italy and Egypt both have three points, and the United States has zero …

CAIRO: Zamalek completed their fifth summer signing, landing free agent Ahmed Tharwat on Wednesday. Tharwat s agent Adel Kordi told FilGoal.com that he escorted his client to the Cairo club premises, where the defensive midfielder penned a four-year contract. The 24-year-old was close to joining Petrojet last January, but the White Knights eventually snapped him …

CAIRO: Portuguese coach Nelo Vingada has decided not to take charge of Ahly, several days after he signed a two-year contract with the Cairo club. The Red Devils announced that the former Zamalek boss rescinded his contract because of “urgent family problems . However, FilGoal.com learnt that Vingada backtracked on the Ahly job after he …

JOHANNESBURG: World football body FIFA went online in Arabic on Thursday, the first non-European language version of its website ahead of three competitions in the Arab world in the next six months. The Arabic FIFA.com, which joins English, French, German and Spanish versions, reflects a move toward the fastest-growing language on the Internet, growing by …

CAIRO: Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan stressed that he is content with life at the Bundesliga club. The Egyptian international is linked with a move to Premiership side Blackburn Rovers, who are reportedly willing to lure the ex-Hamburg man for ?7 million. But Zidan, who recently impressed for Egypt by scoring twice against Brazil in …

CAIRO: Harras Hodoud right-back Islam Al-Shater signed a one-year contract extension with the Alexandria club. The former Ahly man, whose contract with Hodoud was going to expire this summer, confirmed that he wants to stay and win another title with the club next season. Al-Shater helped Tarek Al-Ashri s men win their first ever Egyptian …

LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee announced a deal on Thursday for 20 Arab states to broadcast the 2014 Sochi Olympics and Summer Games in 2016. The contract with the Arab States Broadcast Union (ASBU) is understood to be worth $32 million (?23 million), an increase of almost 50 percent on the $21.2 million (?15.2 million) …

PRETORIA: FIFA removed television sets from the touchline for the remainder of the Confederations Cup to ensure there is no repeat of the controversy surrounding Brazil’s winning goal against Egypt. The Egyptians appealed to FIFA to protest against referee Howard Webb’s award of a last-minute penalty to Brazil after appearing to consult with a match …

CAIRO: Brazil forward Alexandre Pato said that conceding three goals to Egypt in the Confederations Cup was down to the Pharaohs lethal front line rather than his side s weak defense. The six-time World Champions opened their account in the confederations Cup with a 4-3 victory over Egypt to take charge of Group B on …

CAIRO: Zamalek completed the signing of Ibrahim Ayew on a five-year deal from Ghanaian side Eleven Wise for an undisclosed fee, the Cairo giants announced late on Monday. We are confident that Ayew will be a valuable addition to Zamalek squad, the club s spokesman Sabri Serag said. Ayew, son of Ghana great Abedi Pele, …

JOHANNESBURG: Italy coach Marcello Lippi is wary of a dangerous Egypt side but says his team’s “calmness and serenity will help them win their Confederations Cup showdown here on Thursday. The sluggish world champions were losing to the United States at half-time in their Group B opener against the United States before bouncing back in …

CAIRO: Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan said he and his teammates enjoyed playing Brazil in the Confederations Cup regardless losing 4-3. The African Champions put on an impressive display and only lost 4-3 to a 91-minute penalty-kick. “I told the players before the game that we are going to play the most entertaining side in the …

BLOEMFONTEIN: Egypt is blaming its Confederations Cup loss to Brazil on a goal its coach and players believe was scored only after the illegal use of television replays. Kaka scored a last-minute penalty to give Brazil a 4-3 victory in its opening match, but assistant coach Chawki Gharib said Egypt will protest to FIFA over …

CAIRO: Ismaili chairman Nasr Aboul-Hassan stated that his side could offload several players this summer if the club wasn’t given financial support immediately. Aboul-Hassan claims that several businessmen pledged to donate amounts of money to the Dervishes at the end of last season, but they didn t live up to their promises . When Ismaili …

CAIRO: Zamalek wrapped up their third close-season signing after landing Ghazl Mahalla left-back Mohamed Abdel-Shafi, the club said on Sunday. Abdel-Shafi put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal, Zamalek spokesman Sabri Serag said. Zamalek have been long-term admirers of the talented full back but failed in their attempts to sign him during the past few seasons. …

CAIRO: Former Ahly defender Rami Adel has moved to newly-promoted side Gouna on a free transfer, shortly after the Red Devils showed him the door. I m going to join Gouna s training on Tuesday, he told FilGoal.com after signing a contract with the coastal club on Sunday. Adel assured that Ahly didn t benefit …

CAIRO: Ahly goalkeeping coach Ahmed Nagi denied reports suggesting that Amir Abdel-Hamid has been put on the transfer list. Amir is going nowhere; all what has been said about his departure is groundless, Nagi told FilGoal.com. He s a great keeper and we need him with us. The 30-year-old, who became Ahly s regular goalie …

BLOEMFONTEIN: Real Madrid s new signing Kaka rescued Brazil with a last-gasp penalty to hand the defending champions a thrilling 4-3 win over Egypt in the Confederations Cup on Monday. Brazil were leading 3-1 with first-half strikes from Kaka, Luis Fabiano and Juan cancelling out Mohamed Zidan s effort before Egypt drew level with two …

CAIRO: Hassan Shehata is hoping to see Egypt s newcomers seize the opportunity of representing the national team in South Africa, amid the absence of some key players. The injuries of Amr Zaki and Emad Meteb, in addition to the exclusion of Ahmed “Mido Hossam, prompted the Egypt boss to name some inexperienced locals for …

CAIRO: Egypt’s Red Devils Al-Ahly have named Portuguese Nelo Vingada coach on a two-year contract, club officials here said on Saturday. He succeeds compatriot Manuel Jose, who resigned from coaching the Cairo team last month to take over struggling Angola, hosts of the 2010 African Nations Cup. Silver-haired Vingada, 56, is heading in the opposite …

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa: Brazil will begin the defense of its Confederations Cup title on Monday against an Egyptian team it knows very little about. The five-time world champions are hoping to get off to a good start in its attempt to become the first nation to win three Confederations Cup titles, but the Brazilians enter …

CAIRO: Gouna s newly-signed goalie Sherif Ekrami conceded that he wanted to rejoin Ahly in the close season, but their non-negotiable bid was not up to par. The 27-year-old sealed a move to Gouna this summer from Dutch outfit Feyenoord, but few days later the Red Devils approached him. Although Ekrami was first reluctant to …

CAIRO: Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan is confident his side can represent Africa in the best possible way during the Confederations Cup. The Pharaohs will face Brazil, Italy and the United States in the quadrennial tournament which will kick off on Sunday. The African champions will be the Dark Continent s representative along with hosts South …

Playing Brazil and Italy is the best thing that could have happened to Egypt at this particularly low juncture in our football history. Egypt is still smarting from its 3-1 defeat to Algeria which has left it bottom of the group in the World Cup qualifiers. What better way to deal with the upcoming qualifying …

For most Iraqis, the summer ushers in a time of great tribulation. In occupied Iraq, and for more than a decade under a regime of genocidal sanctions, the hottest time of the year accentuates the failures of the state in the most horrific of ways. Towering heaps of garbage, overflowing sewage, and a ravaged health …

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa is ready to play on the international football stage for the first time. All eight teams competing in this month s Confederations Cup – including World Cup holder Italy, European champion Spain and South American winner Brazil – have arrived in the southernmost country in Africa and are preparing for their group …