Co-owners of Alexander restaurant in Gladesville, Adel Ayad and Ayman Adly, witnessed their venue packed with Egyptian fans during Egypt's 1-1 draw against Iran last Saturday. The restaurant was filled with supporters donning the team's colours, reflecting the deep football culture among the Egyptian diaspora.
Diaspora Torn Between Two Teams
Egyptian-Australians are grappling with a 'bittersweet' dilemma ahead of Saturday's World Cup knockout game between the Pharaohs and the Socceroos. The 45,000-strong diaspora must decide which team to support, a choice that many find emotionally complex.
Multi-instrumentalist Joseph Tawadros encapsulates this conflict in his social media videos, where he plays a mashup of Waltzing Matilda and the Egyptian folk song Teleat Ya Mahla Nourha while wearing a fez with an Australian flag and dangling corks. He says he is 'split down the middle, 50-50'. 'If Australia advance, I'll be happy. If Egypt advance, I'll be happy,' he notes, calling it a 'win-win situation'.
Football as a Cultural Anchor
Ayman Adly, co-owner of Alexander Mediterranean Restaurant, migrated to Australia eight years ago. He says his 'heart is with Egypt' but his 'brain is with Australia'. 'It's hard,' he admits. 'Because we are away from our home, sport gives us a way to be attached with our country, especially for second and third generation [Egyptians].' He adds that football in Egypt transcends religion and social class, uniting the nation.
This is Egypt's fourth World Cup appearance, and their best performance yet. Their 3-1 victory over New Zealand in Vancouver marked their first-ever win in the tournament, sending them to the knockout stage for the first time. Star player Mohamed Salah, known as the 'Egyptian King', fuels national pride. In the 2018 presidential election, some voters crossed out candidates' names to write Salah's instead, highlighting his symbolic status.
Community Reactions and 'Uncharted Territory'
Egypt's consul general in Sydney, Reem Zahran, says football is 'simply part of who we are'. 'I honestly don't think I've ever met an Egyptian who doesn't love football,' she remarks. She describes the match against Australia as 'exciting' but 'bittersweet', noting that 'it's a little sad that one team has to end the other's World Cup journey'. However, she believes the Egyptian-Australian community will be the winner regardless of the result, as the match celebrates both sides of their identity.
Hesham El Masry, owner of Cairo Takeaway in Sydney's Newtown, also feels conflicted. His restaurant saw about 100 people crammed in to watch Egypt's game against Iran. 'It's a funny one because I'm born and bred Aussie,' he says. 'I love Kunda [Nestory Irankunda] and I love the side.' He admits he hasn't decided yet, calling it 'uncharted territory'. He emphasizes that the joy of the event transcends the outcome: 'It's been a bit of a shit world lately… sometimes sporting events like this make us forget and rejoice and be happy. You feel it in the air.'
