Calendars on Collision: Helmi Toulan Threatens Walkout as the Arab Cup Approaches

Context and Stakes

Helmi Toulan, appointed to lead Egypt’s second national team for the Arab Cup in Qatar (December 1–18), issued fiery comments ahead of the tournament. He notes Egypt is in Group C with Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the winner of Kuwait vs Mauritania. The decision for the senior team to skip the Arab Cup was taken by Hossam Hassan, who opts to prioritize AFCON in Morocco later this year.

Clashes with Club Commitments

Toulan warns of a calendar clash between national duties and club commitments. He highlights the busy schedules of Al Ahly, Zamalek, Pyramids FC and Al Masry, whose December fixtures (including December 3 and 6) would overlap with the national team’s preparations. The coach even visited Pyramids to coordinate player involvement, but the club requested postponements to allow travel for national duty.

Escalating Tensions and Possible Withdrawal

In televised remarks, Toulan says the crisis is worsening due to perceived disrespect from the Egyptian clubs’ association, which he says had been given the national-team training program but ignored it or scheduled games simultaneously. He insists that Egypt plays for the country and deserves proper attention, and he warns that if the situation persists, he could withdraw as manager, especially since the squad is due to assemble on November 25 while major club matches are still scheduled.

Training Grounds and Preparation

Toulan also underlines difficulties securing suitable training grounds for the second team. He points to scarce venues in Cairo and to facilities being repurposed or charged for use, arguing that the federation should secure proper facilities, unlike the Moroccan setup with multiple main venues and hotels for teams. He argues this mismatch undermines national-team readiness just as the Arab Cup looms.

What the Second Team Has Done

Despite the controversy, Egypt’s second team has been active in recent camps. In August, Toulan’s side played two friendlies in Ismailia against Tunisia’s reserves, winning 1–0 and then 3–0. In October they trained in Morocco, facing the locally based Moroccan side and losing 2–0, followed by a 4–0 win over Bahrain’s first team. Toulan has used players from Pyramids such as Ahmed El-Shenawy, Ahmed Sami, Ahmed Atif “Cat”, Marwan Hamdi, and Karim Hafiz in recent camps, along with talents from other clubs like Amr El-Sulaya of Ceramica Cleopatra and Mido Jaber of Al Masry.

There had also been involvement from other league players, illustrating the broad pool being drawn to bolster the Pharaohs’ Arab Cup squad. Toulan stresses the need for a coherent plan that respects the national program and questions whether such alignment is possible within the current club-dominated framework.

Punchline 1: If calendars were a goalkeeper, they’d save themselves—only the deadline gets through.

Punchline 2: My coaching badge is laminated; apparently some club timetables are, too—they won’t peel off the schedule!