Reports have emerged of the Africa Cup of
Nations trophy been “stolen” from the
headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association
in Cairo.
This was confirmed to Goal by the Egyptian
Football Federation, stating that the trophy won
by the Pharaohs three times in a row has gone
missing.
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Former vice-president of the Egyptian Football
Association, Ahmed Shobeir earlier also
disclosed that the trophy was discovered
missing while preparations were going on to
build a museum to house all of the silverware
won by the North African nation.
“Officials of the committee which meets every
five years and currently manages the Football
Association were surprised that the trophy was
not available, in light of their desire to create a
museum at the federation headquarters, which
would feature the trophy and the national team’s
kits,” Shobeir said on the ‘On Time Sports’ TV
show.
“However, [they] were surprised to find that the
Afcon trophy was lost, and decided to open an
investigation.”
It was initially claimed that former captain Ahmed
Hassan – who skippered the team to success at
the biennial tournament in 2006, 2008, and 2010
– was in possession of the trophy, although he
subsequently denied the claim.
“The committee searched for the trophy, but then
an employee told them that Ahmed Hassan, the
former captain of the Egyptian national team, who
won the cup three times in a row, has kept it,”
Shobeir added.
Later, ex-Egypt midfielder Abdelghani clarified in
a press conference that the trophy had been lost
in a fire seven years ago.
“After the burning of the Football Association
headquarters, some cups were lost, and the
matter was investigated,” the former FA member
began, “including the Africa Cup of Nations that
we retained.
“Some said that the cup had been with Shawky
Gharib, the former general coach of the Egypt
national team, and some say it had been with
Hassan, the former captain of the Pharaohs.”
After learning of the trophy’s disappearance,
Hassan took to social media to express his
dismay at the loss.
“I wish I had kept the cup in my house instead
of it being lost,” he posted on his
@AhmedHassan Twitter handle, “and I am
surprised that I’m being questioned about the
cup after nine years, despite the presence of two
FA boards, and the five-year committee for a
year and two months…but they’re only now
looking for the cup!
“One of the members of the five-year committee
contacted me and told me that they would put a
picture of me with the African Nations Cup on
the wall inside the federation,” Hassan continued,
“and he asked me about the cup.
“I told him that I had delivered it back in 2011,
and he said to me: ‘I wish you had not handed it
over, as the cup is not at the association now.’”
The Pharoah’s of Egypt are the most successful
team in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations,
having won the trophy seven times since 1957.
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