Gomaa defends appearance on Qatari TV sports channel

CAIRO – 25 June 2017: Former Al-Ahly defender Wael Gomaa defended himself after facing criticism for his appearances on Qatari television channel beIN Sports following the recent diplomatic crisis between Qatar and several Arab states, including Egypt.

In a Friday interview with beIN Sports Gomaa defended his choice to appear on the station, saying, “I don’t have to prove anything. I don’t have to explain my situation now. I managed to accomplish a lot of things while playing for the Egyptian national team and now I work in an area where I want to always improve and be better.”

Gomaa also spoke about his ill-fated bid to join the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) Board of Management in 2016, saying, “For me, I don’t regret anything about my working career except entering the EFA election that I lost.”

Gomaa ended his talk with beIN Sports with comments on Al-Ahly’s current team, saying, “In Al-Ahly there are two great defenders, Ahmed Hegazy and Saad Samir. I expect them to have great careers.”

Gomaa enjoyed a successful professional career with the Egyptian national team, winning three consecutive Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008 and 2010, alongside a long career with Al-Ahly before appearing as a pundit on beIN Sports.