In the past few hours, Ugandan player Travis Mutyaba of Zamalek announced his conversion to Islam, changing his name to Jamal. He is set to visit Al-Azhar to officially register his conversion.
Mutyaba follows in the footsteps of several other foreign players who have embraced Islam, such as Ahmed Felix, Frenchman Ferreira, and basketball player Drexion.
Zamalek’s Tunisian duo, Hamza Mathlouthi and Mohamed Ashraf Roka, announced that their teammate, Travis Mutyaba, who plays for the Uganda national team and Zamalek, has converted to Islam. The 18-year-old player has changed his name to Jamal.
Mathlouthi shared a photo with Mutyaba on his Instagram story, captioning it: “Welcome to Islam, brother.”
Omar Zalouk, the player’s agent, told Youm7 that he frequently visits Mutyaba. During one visit to watch a European league match at Mutyaba’s home, the player asked about the differences between Islam and other religions.
The agent explained that he provided Mutyaba with information he knew without elaborating further. He did not question the player about his reasons or his next steps.
Zalouk was surprised when Mutyaba announced his conversion to Islam. He congratulated him and planned a visit to Al-Azhar to officially declare his conversion.
Vieira
Many Egyptian fans are unaware that Portuguese coach Jorvan Vieira, who previously managed Zamalek and Smouha, converted to Islam. Photos of Vieira wearing ihram garments led fans to speculate about his conversion.
Vieira converted to Islam in 1990 while coaching Wydad Casablanca in Morocco, after eight years of research and study. Before converting, Vieira did not adhere to any religion.
Torric Jebrin
In 2016, Torric Jebrin, who played for Al-Masry, Al-Dakhleya, and Ismaily, announced his conversion to Islam, choosing the name Tariq Jibril.
Felix
Ahmed Felix played for Al Ahly from 1993 for five years, scoring 47 goals. He also wore the Zamalek jersey during the 2001-2002 season. Felix previously revealed that he converted to Islam after personal conviction, having had multiple discussions about Islam with Mustafa Kamal during his time in Egypt.
