Egypt’s FA announced on Sunday that its locally-based football team will not participate in the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN 2018) due to their busy domestic league schedule.
“The Egyptian football Association (EFA) sent an official letter to the Confederation of African football to inform them of our withdrawal from the African Nations Championship,” Tharwat Swilam, executive manager of the EFA, told reporters.
“Our participation in this tournament will require a domestic league break and we can’t afford that, given our busy schedule especially following Egypt’s qualification for the World Cup.”
The Pharaohs reached next year’s Russia finals for the first time since 1990 after defeating Congo 2-1 in their penultimate qualifier earlier this month.
Egypt had originally failed to qualify for CHAN after losing to Morocco in the playoffs. However, with Morocco taking the role of tournament host, an extra place has become available in the North Zone, and Egypt has been assigned to that place.
The tournament is scheduled to be played from 12 January to 4 February 2018.
CHAN was inaugurated by CAF on 11 September 2007, pitting the best national teams of Africa against each other.
Only those players who are active in the domestic championships and qualified to play in the ongoing season are permitted to take part.
The tournament is held every two years, alternating with the Africa Cup of Nations.
The first tournament was held in Ivory Coast in 2009, with the Democratic Republic of Congo taking the title. The competition was expanded to 16 teams for the second tournament, which took place in Sudan in 2011, with Tunisia taking home the trophy.
Libya won the 2014 edition, held in South Africa, while DR Congo won again in 2016, this time in Rwanda.
Credit: Ahramonline.com