Ex-Egypt footballer, Mohamed Aboutrika, has officially been declared a terrorist by the country for his alleged links with the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Egyptian players of all time, Aboutrika, 38, is accused of financially supporting the Brotherhood, which his nation considers a terrorist organisation.
He has strenuously denied the allegations.
In 2012, the two-time African champion endorsed the successful presidential bid by Mohamed Morsi, a Brotherhood member.
The ex-BBC African Footballer of the Year will now face some severe sanctions which include ban on international trips as well as his assets and passport frozen.
However, Aboutrika’s lawyer, Mohamed Osman, told the BBC that the move was “contrary to the law”, adding that his client had “not been convicted or formally notified of any of the charges against him”.
“We will appeal this decision,” Osman said. Aboutrika was famous for his incredible finishing – scoring an unbelievable 38 goals in 100 games for the Pharaohs.
But his decision to publicly support Morsi, who lasted just one year in power, split opinion.
In 2015, he had a string of assets, including shares in a number of companies, seized by the Egyptian authorities.
The army’s crackdown on Brotherhood members left hundreds of people dead and thousands in jail.
Morsi was ousted following days of mass anti-government protests in 2013.
Aboutrika, one of the most successful African footballers of his generation, retired from football that same year.
