Egyptian Coach Referred to Prosecution for Excluding Player Due to His Name

July 23, 2026 - 13:51 | Last updated July 23, 2026 - 13:51

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Mohamed Gomaa (Cairo)

The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports announced the result of an investigation into a complaint filed by a parent, stating that her son was excluded from football trials at Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club due to his name.

The player's mother claimed that Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club refused to accept her son, named Makari Younan, in the football trials because of his name, prompting the Ministry of Youth and Sports to immediately move to verify the incident.

Proven coach violation

The Egyptian ministry said in an official statement: 'Responding to the directives of Minister of Youth and Sports Jawahar Nabil to quickly examine what was raised regarding the complaint of the mother of player Makari Younan about his exclusion from football trials at Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club due to his name, a committee from the Directorate of Youth and Sports in Alexandria Governorate was formed to investigate the truth of the incident and ascertain all its circumstances. The committee commenced its work, heard the testimonies of a number of witnesses to the incident, and concluded that the coach in question committed the violation.'

Incident Referred to Prosecution

The statement added: 'In light of this, directives were issued to Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club to promptly take investigative measures with the aforementioned coach, impose the appropriate penalty on him, and inform the ministry of the investigation result and the penalties imposed within a period not exceeding 48 hours. It was also decided to refer the incident to the Public Prosecution to take its procedures in accordance with the provisions of the law.'

No Tolerance for Any Discrimination

He continued: 'The Ministry of Youth and Sports affirms that youth trials and sports activities must be managed in accordance with the principles of integrity, transparency, and equal opportunity, and that children and youth obtaining fair opportunities to practice sports and discover their talents is an inherent right that must not be compromised under any circumstances or for any reason. The ministry also stresses that it will not tolerate any violation that affects justice or equal opportunity, or involves any form of discrimination within sports and youth bodies.'

The statement indicated that the ministry will decisively take the prescribed legal and administrative measures, including imposing the maximum penalties allowed by regulations, which may reach suspension and prohibition from working in any sports or youth body, depending on the severity of the violation and the outcomes of the investigations.

Announcement of Penalty After Investigation Completion

The statement concluded: 'Similar incidents will also be referred to the Public Prosecution whenever investigations reveal suspicion of committing a crime punishable by law. The penalty imposed on the coach will be announced immediately after the investigation is completed, in affirmation of the ministry's approach of transparency and accountability, and to safeguard the rights of all citizens without discrimination.'

Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports Makari Younan