The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is reportedly moving to strengthen its recruitment of dual-national footballers by expanding the work of its existing overseas players committee, according to Egyptian media reports, rather than creating an entirely new body from scratch.
Recent reports suggested the EFA was planning to establish a committee dedicated to recruiting players eligible to represent Egypt through dual nationality. However, the federation had already launched a Committee for Egyptian Players Abroad in July 2025 under the leadership of EFA President Hany Abo Rida, with a mandate that included identifying eligible players overseas, maintaining a database, contacting prospects and their families, and facilitating the paperwork required for them to represent Egypt.
The latest proposal appears to build on that initiative by introducing a more unified recruitment structure across all national team age groups. According to Egyptian sports media, the committee would oversee recruitment from youth to senior level, compile and continuously update a database of eligible players abroad, monitor talent in foreign academies and professional clubs, and coordinate communication with players and their families. Former footballers are also reportedly being considered for membership, although the EFA has not officially announced the committee’s final composition or authority.
The move comes after Egypt’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup renewed attention on the country’s efforts to attract overseas-born talent. One of the programme’s most notable successes has been winger Haissem Hassan, who moved from the Spanish football club of Real Oviedo and switched his international allegiance to currently represent Egypt at the tournament after completing the necessary eligibility process.
Momentum has also grown following reports that scouts working with the federation have prepared a shortlist of additional dual-national players who could become future Egypt internationals. Egyptian media say the list includes Egyptian players such as Liverpool academy prospect Kareem Ahmed, Hertha Berlin’s Selim Taleb and Hamburg defender Omar Abdelmeguid, although the EFA has not publicly confirmed the names.
Several overseas-based youngsters have already joined Egypt’s youth national teams through the federation’s recruitment programme, including Kareem Ahmed, Cam’ron Ismail and Radwan Hamzawi.
Abo Rida has previously acknowledged that recruiting dual-national players is a long-term project. Earlier this year, he said the federation was working to identify eligible players for Egypt’s various national teams while admitting the process would take time to deliver results.
While Egyptian media have reported that the EFA board is expected to discuss expanding the committee’s role at an upcoming meeting, the federation has yet to issue an official statement outlining any structural changes or confirming the committee’s final remit.
