At 18, Younes Ibrahim, an attacking midfielder at Brighton & Hove Albion, is edging closer to a first call-up with Egypt for the November camp, but no administrative confirmation has been announced.
Younes Ibrahim’s name is being mentioned for the Egypt national team. According to an AFP source cited by Ahram Online, head coach Hossam Hassan is closely monitoring the young attacking midfielder at Brighton & Hove Albion, who could be called up for the November camp. Nothing is settled yet: the sources consulted speak of a possibility, not a decision.
And the player’s profile is anything but ordinary: 18 years old, born in Australia, promoted to the Brighton first team this season. And above all, eligibility for four national teams (Egypt, Morocco, England and Australia), thanks to his parents and his grandfather, according to Africa Soccer.
A club that has already launched his career
Ibrahim took a step up this season by being promoted to Brighton’s senior squad, according to Ahram Online, citing AFP on 19 October. The club even threw him in at the deep end: he made his debut in the Conference League in the 4-0 win against Kauno Žalgiris, coming on in the 67th minute and providing an assist, report Africa Soccer and Football360.
A federation stepping up its efforts
On the Egyptian Football Association side, a source cited by FilGoal, and taken up by Africa Soccer, says the body is stepping up its efforts to call him up to the next camp; according to the same source, the player would like to wear the Egyptian shirt. On 26 October, Africa Soccer further reported, citing Maghreb-Foot, that talks over his eligibility had progressed significantly, without official administrative confirmation being announced.
Wasim Ahmed, a member of the Egyptian Football Association’s professional players committee, described the player as a “new discovery” for Egyptian football, again according to Africa Soccer. That remark remains an opinion, not an official position from the body: no source consulted confirms a signed call-up.
Former Egypt national team coach Wael Riyad, for his part, insists he was the first to contact him and call him up, before the player withdrew at the last minute, either through injury or because of an Australian call-up, according to his statements reported by Africa Soccer. Two versions the file does not settle: caution is still needed over the reasons for that withdrawal.
Competition from four nations, a file still open
The file is not just Egyptian. With his parents, his grandfather and his country of birth, the player has enough to choose between four shirts, Africa Soccer notes. That range of options exposes the Egyptian Football Association to competition from other national teams, without the sources consulted documenting the moves made by the three other federations concerned.
On results, Egypt top Group 2 of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers with four points, after a 0-0 against Angola and a 5-0 win against South Sudan, according to Africa Soccer, citing LiveScore/Goal.
The exact date of the November camp is not confirmed by the sources consulted, and the call-up decision is still awaited. The Egyptian Football Association’s administrative procedures still need to be finalised before any official announcement; no announcement to that effect has been made public to date.
On the pitch, Younes Ibrahim remains first and foremost a Brighton player. The club’s next fixture is against Manchester City, in the last 16 of the League Cup, with the date not specified according to the sources consulted.