Al Ahly SC and the German embassy in Cairo organized a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at the club’s premises in Gezira to announce the details of the 2022 Diplomatic Football Tournament.
Khaled Mortagy, Al Ahly’s Treasurer and His Excellency Frank Hartmann, the German ambassador to Cairo, announced the return of the competition after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conference saw the presence of several highly respected figures, representing their embassies and organizations that will take part in the competition.
“It is a great idea to organize this tournament and we all have hope in this tournament to be a micro modular that conveys the spirit of love and peace between all countries in the world. Since the establishment of Al Ahly club and Al Ahly family, sports diplomacy has enjoyed a high priority grounded on the belief of its management that it has a responsibility as one of the state institutions to present a successful model like all the other institutions in the great land of Egypt. Therefore, you will always find us participating in events like this one to consolidate our relations with everyone.” Mortagy said.
24 teams, split into four groups, will take part in the competition that will be held at Al Ahly’s grounds in Sheikh Zayed branch between 13 and 28 May, under the slogan “Uniting The World in Egypt”.
His Excellency Frank Hartmann expressed his happiness to hold the tournament after a two-year interval, saying “We have waited for this moment for three years. It is a symbol of partnership and friendship. Sports build a bridge of friendship, peacemaking and peacekeeping. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to Al Ahly for their understanding, patience and strong support.”
Mortagy gifted the German ambassador with the club’s jersey with number 1 and his name on it and handed him the club’s shield while His Excellency Hartmann handed Mortagy a jersey of the German national team, with the name of “Bibo”, the nickname of the club’s president Mahmoud El Khatib, and number 10 on the back of the jersey.
Hany Ramzy, Al Ahly’s former player, who enjoyed a long spell playing in the Swiss League and the Bundesliga, conducted the draw of the tournament.
Here Are the Groups of the Tournament:
Group A
Germany
United Kingdom
Italy
Vietnam
Argentina
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Group B
Egypt
Hungary
Pakistan
Tanzania
UNHCR
The League of Arab States
Group C
Malaysia
France
Denmark
Norway
Brazil
Ghana
Group D
Spain
USA
Switzerland
India
The G7
International Labour Organization (ILO)
