Egyptian national team coach waved a Palestinian flag moments after securing the team's advancement to the round of 16 at the World Cup, according to a single unverified report. The gesture drew criticism from Israeli analyst Yossi Eliezer.
A new development emerged late Friday night in the ongoing story of political expressions at the World Cup involving Egypt's national team. According to a single unverified report circulating in Arabic-language Telegram channels, Egypt's national soccer coach waved a Palestinian flag immediately after securing the team's qualification for the round of 16. The footage was flagged by Israeli analyst Yossi Eliezer, who questioned why tournament organizers allowed the political display. This follows earlier reports from Eliezer that same night about celebrations in Gaza linked to Egypt's advancement, and a prior statement from coach Hossam Hassan dedicating the victory to the Palestinian people, as The Zioneer reported at Sat 00:09 Jerusalem and Sat 00:38 Jerusalem.
At 00:09 Jerusalem on Saturday, The Zioneer first reported, via Yossi Eliezer's the source '301 — The Arab World on Telegram', that celebrations had begun in Gaza following Egypt's qualification. Minutes later, at the same timestamp, the desk published Eliezer's report that Coach Hossam Hassan had dedicated the historic qualification to the Palestinian people. Both reports originated from a single source — Eliezer — and remained unconfirmed by independent outlets. By Sat 00:38 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published a bulletin treating the dedication statement as an established fact, still attributed to Eliezer. The current report of the flag-waving, also from Eliezer, continues the pattern of a single-channel source with no independent corroboration.
The wider context, as reported by The Zioneer, includes a series of Palestinian solidarity acts during the tournament. On Jun 17, FIFA was accused of a double standard after removing an Israeli flag from a fan while leaving Palestinian and Iranian flags in place. On Jun 28, a man raising an Israeli flag at an Egypt match in Seattle was met with boos and 'Free Palestine' chants. Additionally, on Jun 27, an Israeli flag was spotted among Egyptian fans celebrating the team's draw with Iran, which eliminated Iran from the World Cup, as The Zioneer reported on Jun 27.
What remains open: The flag-waving incident rests on a single unverified Telegram report attributed to analyst Yossi Eliezer. There has been no official response from FIFA, the Egyptian Football Association, or the coach himself. Independent video or photographic evidence has not surfaced, and the report's veracity cannot be confirmed at this time.
4 developments
- StrongMan raises Israeli flag at Egypt World Cup match, draws boos and 'Free Palestine' chants
- DevelopingEgyptian fans celebrate draw and Iran's elimination at World Cup
- DevelopingEgyptian coach Hossam Hassan dedicates World Cup win to Gaza: 'May God grant them victory'
- StrongFIFA Removes Israeli Flag From Fan at World Cup Venue, Leaves Palestinian and Iranian Flags in Place
Source and signal
- Internal intake