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Sports

Egypt’s Football

Trophies

Stolen From EFA

Headquarters

Egypt football team holds the missing Nations Cup after winning the 2010 final

he Africa Cup of Nations was shocked by the disappearance attacked in 2013, various trophies
T(AFCON) trophy has reportedly of some old trophies from the - including the Nations Cup - were
been stolen from the Egyptian Football Association’s store,” read a statement moved to a storeroom.
Association (EFA) headquarters in by the EFA on Friday after a number However, local officials only searched
Cairo. Former EFA vice-president of trophies, cups, and medals from for them recently after the decision
Ahmed Shobier issued a shocking Egypt’s past wins were gone. to renovate the EFA’s entrance so that
statement that the most coveted title “The EFA was preparing to use Egypt’s multiple football cups could be
in African football has mysteriously those lost trophies to be part of the displayed there.
disappeared.
association’s development by showing The storming of the EFA by angry fans
The Egyptian national team achieved them on the building’s entrance,” in seven years ago during violence in
unprecedented success between 2006 part by the EFA to showcase Egypt’s Cairo is now a focal point as officials
and 2010 when they lifted the AFCON past victories on the pitch, which try to determine when and how the
title three times, thus affording the included three back-to-back-to-back trophies were taken.
opportunity to claim the floating victories at the African Cup of Nations.
trophy permanently. “The EFA is now investigating the
Egypt received the prize after winning trophies’ disappearance to determine if
The trophy was gotten under the the 2010 edition of the tournament, so those old trophies were saved after the
guidance of legendary coach Hassan claiming that particular incarnation of building was burned ... or if they were
Shehata in the 2010 campaign. ‘The the trophy for a third time. lost when the building was exposed
EFA realized the trophies were during this incident,” the EFA added.
missing, as they planned to place it in The trophy, whose style was first used
a national sports museum inside the in 2002 after Cameroon were awarded Caf regulations state that a team that
EFA premises,’ Shobier said. ‘However, the previous cup having won it three wins a particular incarnation of the
the EFA team was surprised to find times, was given to the EFA by the Africa Cup of Nations trophy three
that the AFCON trophy was lost and Confederation of African Football times will own it for good.
decided to open an investigation. (Caf) after triumphs in 2006, 2008 and Ghana was the first team to win the
2010.
Earlier, an employee informed the EFA trophy three times, in 1978, while
authorities that it was held by former On Friday, the EFA - whose media Cameroon then received the second
Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan who, director confirmed the trophy’s loss version of the Nations Cup trophy
when contacted refuted this claim. to the BBC - said it had opened an after becoming the first country to win
The association was later to discover investigation into the loss of the it on three occasions.
that, not one, but other trophies were various trophies. Under Caf rules, teams that win the
missing. An investigation has been “As the Egyptian FA is currently Nations Cup receive a replica of the
launched by the Egyptian FA (EFA) developing the main headquarters, trophy on a permanent basis while
and police. including changing the entrance to a they are allowed to keep the trophy for
“As the Egyptian Football Association small museum of Egyptian football, the two years in-between tournaments
are currently developing the main the management was shocked by the before handing it back.
headquarter of the association disappearance of some old trophies The current trophy, whose style is still
including changing the building’s from the storeroom,” said the EFA in the same as the one won by Egypt, is in
entrance to a small museum for a statement. the hands of Algeria, who won the last
Egyptian football, the management After the EFA headquarters were Nations Cup title (in Cairo) last year.

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