How Egypt’s foreign quota plan could affect Ugandan stars

With contracts of Ugandan footballers playing in the Egyptian Premier League (EPL) expiring either in June 2021 or 2022, the latest development from the North African country’s federation will have had the players and their agents pondering.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is proposing a reduction on the number of foreign footballers plying their trade in the first and second divisions, with Uganda having at least seven players there.

Should this be rubber-stamped as expected, topflight clubs will be allowed only four foreign players, down from five.

The second tier clubs will be allowed to sign only two foreign players, while the third division can only use home-grown footballers.

No guarantees
“I can’t comment on the move (details) per se because I haven’t gotten any official confirmation from my club,” Al Ittihad Alexandria Club and Uganda Cranes striker Emmanuel Okwi told Daily Monitor via a social media chat yesterday.

“But of course if it were to happen, it would bother me in the sense that I would love to see more Ugandans in this league because I think it’s a very competitive league and it would make them ready to play in the top European leagues.”

Al Ittihad Alexandria, Tadeo Lwanga’s Tanta Sports, and on-loan Patrick Kaddu’s Ismaily fall well within the current five-foreign player quota. Ittihad have three while the other two have four non-Egyptian players.
But even then, that does not guarantee stay as football – hardly helped by the uncertainty of the Coronavirus effects – can be quite volatile.

Abdu Lumala’s Pyramids FC have the highest number of foreign players at nine, but with the five-cap forcing them to loan out the other four. This calls for the winger, Lumala, to triple his effort to make the four-quarter upcoming plan next season.
Khalid Aucho’s Misr El Makasa, El Gouna of Allan Kyambadde and Derrick Nsibambi’s Smouha SC all have the maximum of five currently allowed.

Call to action
The proposals are debatable by stake holders but will most likely be effected as Egypt restructures their respective leagues looking to produce more home talent.
Despite the possible repercussions to several foreign players, Okwi – who moved to Alexandria after the 2019 June/July Afcon finals in Egypt on a two-year deal, sees a window of hope.

“I think it’s a call for us all to work even harder if we want to join the best leagues. And I also think whenever you have a big challenge in front of you, it makes you to work harder which helps you improve also as a player.”

The Egyptian league, like most in the world, is currently on halt as the universe battles the Coronavirus pandemic.

Egyptian clubs with Ugandan players

Pyramids FC: A Ugandan (Abdu Lumala), Tunisian, Burkinabe, Ivorian, Ghanaian in the first team, with a Nigerian, two Brazilians and a Peruvian out on loan (9 foreign players, but with 4 of them out on loan)
Al Ittihad Alexandria Club: A Ugandan (Emmanuel Okwi), Togolese and Ivorian (on loan from Zamalek) (3 foreign players)
El Gouna: A Ugandan (Allan Kyambadde), Cameroonian, Ethiopian and Ivorian; with a Nigerian out on loan (5 foreigners)
Misr El Makasa: A Ugandan (Khalid Aucho), Ethiopian, Moroccan, Madagascan and Nigerian (5 foreign players)
Ismaily Sporting Club: A Ugandan (Patrick Kaddu - on loan from RS Berkane), Namibian, Guinea-Bissauan and Tunisian (4 foreign players)
Smouha SC: A Ugandan (Derrick Nsibambi), Burkinabe, Libyan, Guinean and Congolese (5 foreigner players
Tanta Sports Club: A Ugandan (Tadeo Lwanga), Kenyan, Senegalese and Gabonese (4 foreigners)

Others with big foreign roster
Zamalek: A Congolese, two Moroccans, a Tunisian, with an Ivorian, another Moroccan, and Nigerian out on loan (7 foreigners, but with two out on loan)
Al Ahly: A Malian, Senegalese, Tunisian, Nigerian, Angolan and Moroccan (6 foreign players, but one of them on loan)

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