A potential crisis is brewing between the Egyptian Football Association and Manchester City over Omar Marmoush, stemming from coach Hossam Hassan’s desire to include him in a friendly match against Nigeria before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The AFCON kicks off on December 21st in Morocco, and the Egyptian national team has scheduled a friendly against Nigeria for December 14th. Hossam Hassan intends to field Omar Marmoush in this match, meaning he needs to join the Pharaohs a few days prior.
According to the Telegraph, Manchester City has no intention of releasing Marmoush before the FIFA-mandated deadline (one week before the international tournament), meaning he will not leave England before the end of December 14th.
The reason for this is that Pep Guardiola’s squad has an important match against Crystal Palace on the same day, and Guardiola refuses to let the Egyptian star leave before this game, which ultimately aligns with FIFA regulations.
It remains unclear how the Egyptian Football Association will handle this crisis. Will Marmoush insist on joining the Egyptian national team camp early, or will they speak with Hossam Hassan and persuade him to join after the Nigeria match, assuring him that it won’t significantly affect his preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations?
A similar situation is expected with Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who has a match against Brighton on December 13th. The “Egyptian King” won’t be able to leave before then, and will therefore undoubtedly miss the Nigeria match as well.
