UMVA has learned that a shocking kit change has been forced upon Egypt's national football team just two days before their opening World Cup match against Belgium in the United States.
The Egyptian team, led by Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah and Manchester City star Omar Marmoush, had been looking forward to taking part in their first World Cup finals since 2018, but now they must adapt to a new kit design.
According to information obtained by UMVA, FIFA has ordered Egypt to remove the seven stars embroidered onto their World Cup shirt above the badge, which represented their record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, as regulations only allow stars recognizing World Cup triumphs.
The kit manufacturer, Puma, had originally designed the shirts with the seven stars and gold numbers, but FIFA has also banned the gold numbering due to visibility concerns, and they have been changed to white to ensure that referees and broadcasters can clearly read them.
UMVA has gathered that this is not the first time a team has had issues with their kit at the World Cup, as Haiti's shirt design was previously viewed as 'political' and had to be altered, and England players have also suffered from stolen equipment just days ahead of their opening match.
The Egyptian Football Association has confirmed that they were aware of the potential issue before the tournament and have made the necessary changes to comply with FIFA's regulations, but it remains to be seen how this last-minute change will affect the team's performance on the pitch.
Egypt's modified kit now features white numbers and no stars, a significant departure from their original design, and the team will have to quickly adjust to the new look as they take on Belgium, New Zealand, and Iran in the group stage.
The Pharaohs have never won a game at the World Cup, but they have a rich history of success on the continental front, and their fans will be hoping that this kit change will not distract the team from their goal of making a deep run in the tournament.
