Berlin: The Egyptian FA has said that changes made to their World Cup shirts were not last-ditch efforts but had been communicated well in advance. The world governing body Fifa has told the team of superstar Mohamed Salah that they can't have the seven stars for their seven Africa Cup of Nations titles above their emblem because World Cup shirts can only have stars for world titles.
The Egyptian FA told dpa they had already received a notification from Fifa several months ago and that "consequently, the necessary measures were taken and arrangements made with the relevant authorities in good time.
"This is therefore not a new or unexpected development just before the start of the tournament." Egypt must also change the golden numbers on the shirts which will now be white for better visibility. The FA said that "this, too, is a standard organisational and technical requirement." Egypt play their first World Cup game on Monday against Belgium, with Iran and New Zealand their other opponents in Group G. — dpa
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
