CAIRO, Egypt — Egyptian authorities recently detained former national footballer Ali Ghazal, 32, in New Cairo’s First Settlement area. Ghazal was arrested following a complaint from a man who alleged that Ghazal, along with an accomplice, defrauded him of 7 million Egyptian pounds (EGP) under the guise of an investment opportunity.
According to the complainant, Ghazal and his partner solicited the sum, promising lucrative returns through an import-export business. However, the promised returns allegedly never materialized, prompting the victim to report the incident to authorities.
In response, Cairo’s security department established a special investigative team to delve into the case. A formal police report has been filed, and the public prosecution is currently overseeing the investigation.
Ghazal, who represented Egypt 11 times internationally, was part of the national squad that competed in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Over his career, Ghazal played for several clubs, including Wadi Degla in Egypt and various international teams such as C.D. Nacional in Portugal, Feirense, AE Larisa in Greece, Guangzhou Zhicheng in China, and Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer. He returned to Egypt in recent years, concluding his career with Wadi Degla in July 2023.
Following his retirement, Ghazal announced plans to manage Ra FC, an Egyptian third-division club, for the current season.