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Al-Ahram Weekly

Infantino explores Egypt's beauty - Sports - Al-Ahram Weekly

The week started with the visit of FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Egypt's North Coast city of Alamein where he was received by Egyptian Football Association President Hani Abu Rida who is also a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the FIFA Council. Infantino expressed his happiness to be spending his summer vacation in Egypt, emphasising the uniqueness of football in a country he described as proud of the game. 'The passion for football runs deep in Egypt... and the North Coast is one of the jewels of the Mediterranean,' he said. In the coastal city of New Alamein, Infantino met Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi and Abu Rida. The visit focused on strengthening collaboration to support the development of football in Egypt. In a phone call, Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli extended a warm welcome to Infantino. During the call, Madbouli thanked the FIFA president for choosing Egypt as a destination for his family vacation, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Saturday. This came during a meeting between Sobhi and Infantino, in the presence of Abu Rida. 'Choosing Egypt to spend the holiday reflects the international community's growing trust in Egypt as a premier tourist destination,' Sobhi said, adding that 'this underscores the country's safety, stability, and its prominent position on the global tourism map.' 'Infantino's visit is a testament to the appeal of Egypt's modern cities, especially New Alamein which offers world-class amenities and infrastructure, making it an attractive option for visitors from around the world,' Sobhi added. Infantino took to his official Instagram account to reflect on the call he received from Madbouli. 'It was an honour to have a call with the Prime Minister of Egypt, Mostafa Madbouli, and to meet my good friend, the Minister of Youth and Sport, Ashraf Sobhi, alongside FIFA council member and President of the Egyptian Football Association Hani Abu Rida, in Alamein, on Egypt's northern coast, one of the true jewels of the Mediterranean. 'We are working closely together to support the development of football in Egypt- a country where passion for our beautiful game runs deep. You only have to look at the incredible support for clubs like Al Ahly, especially from their fans during the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, to see just how much football means here. 'Egypt is a proud football nation and it's always that energy and commitment [I see] first-hand.' Also, this week the EFA had the opportunity to 'Give every talent a chance' through the FIFA Talent Development Schemes (TDS) programme. Youth development enables each Member Association (MA) to reach its full potential through the TDS where 25 Egyptian female coaches participated in cooperation between FIFA and the Egyptian Football Association, hosted by the National Teams Centre in Cairo. According to FIFA, the conclusion of the first phase of the FIFA TDS data clearly showed that talent development has a positive impact upon later success, both domestically and internationally. A concerted effort from all stakeholders (FIFA, confederations, associations, leagues and clubs) to influence the key factors of talent development could lead to a higher competitive balance. The top MAs appear to be supporting talent development throughout the pathway to a greater extent. However, it is clear that there is still work to be done to truly give every talent a chance. 'Everything is connected in our sport. We are all connected. Giving every talent a chance requires everyone to play their part,' Infantino said. The first phase included Cairo, Giza, and Qalyubia, with junior men's tests taking place on Monday and Tuesday, while women's tests were held on Wednesday. The second phase was held in Port Said on Friday. The tests were attended by Mustafa Azzam, Executive Director of the Egyptian Football Association, and Alaa Nabil, technical director of the association and project supervisor. Also present were Ahmed Al-Gohari, project director, Atef Attia, general coordinator, and a FIFA delegation, which included Anthony Baffoe, director of the Talent Project in Africa, and Laban Scott Lippi, Harry Varley, and Leszczew Georgiowski, all talent scouts. The project includes technical directors Rami Adel and Youssef Fawaz, along with Bassem Khairat, the youth goalkeeper coach, and technical directors Mustafa Mounir and Nashwa Sharabi, in addition to Rama Gweili, the girls' coordinator. The project also included talent scouts Mohamed Al-Yamani, Ahmed Abdel-Latif, and Sherif Al-Tala'a. The TDS project aims to discover talented players at the age group (born in 2011) and provide them with technical, health and physical support under the auspices of the Egyptian Football Association, through the association's technical director and the best training cadres. On the other hand, the EFA received news that the FIFA Referees Committee has announced the list of female referees participating in the Women's World Cup in Morocco, including Egyptian international assistant referee Yara Atef, who has previously represented Egyptian referees in numerous African and international tournaments, most notably the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, and the FIFA Women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, Egyptian referees kicked off in Alexandria in preparation for the launch of the new Premier League. The referees were divided into three groups. The first group included 32 referees (18 field referees and 14 assistants). * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: