“We are preparing an appeal to the Swiss Federal Court,” Sobhi’s lawyer told a television programme early on Thursday.
“We have new grounds for the appeal and will file it in the coming period,” he added.
The 28-year-old was initially provisionally suspended in May 2024 following "atypical findings" in a doping test conducted by a Barcelona laboratory.
Sobhi appealed the suspension and was cleared by the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organization (EGY-NADO) after several hearings over the next two months.
EGY-NADO’s decision was based on insufficient evidence to support violations of Articles 2.2 and 2.5 of World’s Anti-Doping Rules, which prohibit the use of banned substances and tampering with testing procedures.
However, WADA challenged the ruling, taking the case to CAS, which ultimately imposed a four-year ban on the player.
The CAS ruling adds to the troubles facing Sobhi, who is currently detained pending investigation by an Egyptian criminal court in connection with charges of forgery.
Sobhi, along with three others, is accused by the Egyptian prosecution of conspiring to help someone cheat on university exams by impersonating the winger.
A court decision on the case is expected on December 30.
A product of Ahly’s youth teams, Sobhi burst onto the scene in 2014 as one of Egypt’s brightest footballing prospects.
He helped his side win both the Egyptian Premier League and the CAF Confederation Cup that year, making a name for himself with his flair and skill.
Sobhi’s talent took him to the English Premier League in July 2016, where he joined Stoke City.
He delivered a string of solid performances before moving to Huddersfield Town two years later, following Stoke’s relegation.
However, Sobhi struggled to find his rhythm at Huddersfield and returned to his roots with a loan move to Ahly in January 2019.
There, he played a pivotal role in helping the club regain its form, securing back-to-back Egyptian League titles in 2019 and 2020.
During his time at Ahly, Sobhi played 123 matches, scoring 23 goals and providing 22 assists across all competitions.
Despite efforts from the club to make his loan permanent, Sobhi made a shock move to Pyramids FC in 2020, joining the rich club in a high-profile switch.
His spell at Pyramids was hindered by a series of injuries, but Sobhi still enjoyed significant success, winning the Egypt Cup in 2024, the CAF Champions League in 2025, the African Super Cup in the same year, and the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup.
Across 159 appearances for Pyramids, Sobhi scored 37 goals and provided 31 assists.
On the international stage, Sobhi made his debut for Egypt in 2015, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 win over Tanzania in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
He became a key figure in the Pharaohs’ run to the final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Cameroon.
Sobhi also played a vital role in Egypt’s successful qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after a 28-year absence, and continued to feature for the Pharaohs in subsequent tournaments.
He was part of Egypt’s squad that reached the final of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost to Senegal in a penalty shootout.
Over the course of his international career, Sobhi has made 37 appearances and scored twice.
Additionally, Sobhi was instrumental in Egypt’s triumphant 2015 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations campaign and featured for the U-23 team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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