Hani Abu Rida, president of the Football Association, revealed the secret behind his recent selection of some officials in the association, most notably Essam Abdel Fattah and Shawky Gharib.
Abu Rida said in statements on Al-Nahar channel: "Shawky Gharib has a distinguished resume, both as an international player and as a coach, after leading the youth team to a bronze medal at the 2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup, winning the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations title and qualifying the team for the Olympics, in addition to his years of work within the technical staff of the first team under the leadership of Hassan Shehata."
Abu Rida explained that the Football Association had been considering hiring a foreign technical director, but the shift toward relying on Egyptian competencies prompted him to review the resumes, finding that Shawky Gharib was the most suitable to take on the task, confirming that he had relied on trusted and experienced figures in forming the association.
The secret behind appointing Essam Abdel Fattah
Regarding the appointment of Essam Abdel Fattah as head of the referees committee, Abu Rida said: "The selection was based on his extensive experience and wide-ranging relationships at both the African and international levels."
He added: "He has worked in the UAE and Syria and is currently lecturing in Ghana. His appointment carries no message against Al Ahly Club; rather, it was made according to standards of competence and experience," noting that differing viewpoints with any club are possible and do not affect the association's decisions.
The Football Association president praised what Oscar Ruiz achieved during his tenure, confirming that he contributed to developing the refereeing system and the emergence of new talents, with four Egyptian referees reaching the World Cup thanks to his experience and international connections. He stressed the continuation of the refereeing development plan and the promotion of young faces, while commending the levels shown by the Egyptian refereeing crew led by Amin Omar.
Behind the scenes of Egypt's preparations for the World Cup
In another context, Abu Rida confirmed that the team's success at the World Cup under the leadership of Hossam Hassan contributed to changing the association's direction toward appointing an Egyptian technical director. He also stressed that Helmy Toulan bears no responsibility for the early exit from the Arab Cup, explaining that the limited time prevented optimal preparation of the players for the tournament.
He concluded his statements by affirming that the Football Association had been keen before the World Cup to prepare the team in the best possible way, by playing friendly matches against teams from different football schools—American, European, and Asian—to ensure the best readiness before the tournament began.
