The Continent’s most prestigious football trophy, the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, has been reported stolen from the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo.
Egyptian Football Federation reports that the missing trophy was the one won by the Pharaohs three times in a row.
Former vice president of the football association, Ahmed Shobeir, noted that the trophy was discovered missing during preparations to build a museum to house all the silverware won by the North African nation.
“Officials of the committee which meets every five years and currently manages the Football Association were surprised that the trophy was not available, in light of their desire to create a museum at the federation headquarters, which would feature the trophy and the national team’s kits,” Shobeir said
“However, they were surprised to find that the Afcon trophy was lost, and decided to open an investigation.”
“It was initially claimed that former captain Ahmed Hassan who skippered the team to success at the biennial tournament in 2006, 2008, and 2010 was in possession of the trophy, although he subsequently denied the claim.”
“The committee searched for the trophy, but then an employee told them that Ahmed Hassan, the former captain of the Egyptian national team, who won the cup three times in a row, has kept it,” Shobeir added.
“Some said that the cup had been with Shawky Gharib, the former general coach of the Egypt national team, and some say it had been with Hassan, the former captain of the Pharaohs.”
After learning of the trophy’s disappearance, Hassan took to social media to express his dismay at the loss.
“I wish I had kept the cup in my house instead of it being lost,” he posted on his @AhmedHassan Twitter handle, “and I am surprised that I’m being questioned about the cup after nine years, despite the presence of two FA boards, and the five-year committee for a year and two months…but they’re only now looking for the cup!”
Algeria’s Desert Warriors are the current holders of the trophy won in 2019.
