Initially, Stephan was qualified to play for the Egypt national football team, but was denied by then-coach Hassan Shehata who ignorantly stating that "not every Egyptian playing for a foreign league qualifies to play for the national side."
ໃນເບື້ອງຕົ້ນ, Stephan ມີຄຸນສົມບັດທີ່ຈະຫລິ້ນສໍາລັບການ ທີມຊາດບານເຕະແຫ່ງຊາດອີຢີບ, ແຕ່ຖືກປະຕິເສດໂດຍ ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ, ຄູຝຶກສອນ Hassan Shehata ຜູ້ທີ່ ignorantly stating that "ບໍ່ທຸກ ຊາວອີຍິບ ການຫຼີ້ນຫຼີ້ນເຕະບານຕ່າງປະເທດມີຄຸນສົມບັດທີ່ຈະຫລິ້ນສໍາລັບຊາດ ."