Two of Egypt's biggest football stars have opted not to play with the clubs of this European country, Ahmed Morsy reports The Egyptian attacking midfielder signed a four-year deal extending his contract with Cairo club Zamalek that will keep him in Egypt until 2014, putting to an end widespread speculation over his future with the Belgian club Anderlecht. For months, Anderlecht have been trying to secure the 24-year-old's services, however, Zamalek were determined to keep home. The Belgian giants made two offers for both of which were turned down by Zamalek, which prompted Anderlecht to seek legal avenues to land the Egypt schemer without the Whites' consent. "We made a very reasonable offer for and even bettered his release clause," Anderlecht's general director Herman van Holsbeeck was quoted as saying by Het Laatste Nieuws after signed for Zamalek. "However, Zamalek are so far reluctant to accept any offer. We will have to take other measures if they continue to turn down our offers." Anderlecht claimed that had penned a four-year contract with them and wanted the international ace to invoke Article 17 of FIFA to leave Zamalek. The article states that players who have already served three years of their existing contract, or two years in the case of players aged 28 or over, can buy out the remaining time of their deal. Earlier, Anderlecht, the reigning Belgian champions, offered two million euros for Zamalek to complete the transfer but Zamalek insisted that deserves seven million euros. Hence, the Belgian club decided to complain to FIFA as they have a contract penned by the player for four years. In other Belgium-related football news, Ahli's former striker Emad Meteb has been the talk of Liege in Brussels after he turned from being the signing of the season by Belgian side Standard Liege to be described later as the "thief". Meteb signed a contract with the Belgian side last month but returned to Egypt without warning after claiming that the army had prevented him for travelling. Although Standard Liege gave the Egyptian international striker time to change his mind, the 27-year- old stood his ground though his excuses did not seem good enough to convince Liege officials. "My 23-year-old brother was very ill, so I asked to go home for just two days" Meteb told the Brussels-based La Derniere Heure. "However, when I tried to return to Belgium, the army prevented me, saying I have military service." On how he was able to leave Egypt at first, Meteb said, "I left because I was still enrolled in university. I asked that my documents be transferred from Cairo University to Liege. But suddenly I was no longer registered and they would not let me leave." Standard director Pierre Francois told the Nieuwsblad newspaper that Meteb's story about the army cannot be verified. "It is just a clear indication that he has no intention of returning to Belgium," Francois claimed. "We are no longer counting on him. I think we would look ridiculous if we still say that Emad Meteb is the transfer of the season. "The club is blameless now. We have a perfectly valid contract that was not respected." "I know I risk suspension and a fine if Standard takes the case to FIFA," Meteb admitted, "but I am ready to accept it even though I am innocent." Meteb and his agent are doing their best to avoid being sanctioned. If they succeed, Meteb will be free until the transfer window re-opens in January. He will train under the supervision of a fitness coach until then. Egypt coach Hassan Shehata dropped Meteb from their 6-3 friendly defeat of DR Congo and said he was not persuaded by Meteb's explanation to annul his Standard deal. Borussia Dortmund's Mohamed Zidan and Sunderland's Ahmed El-Muhammadi are the only foreign-based players who are regular members of Egypt's roster.
