An Egyptian court has sentenced Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the country's greatest all-time soccer players, to a year's imprisonment for tax evasion.

The court also gave the 40-year-old the option to pay a fine of 20 000 Egyptian pounds, or $1 115, to have his sentence suspended. The verdict can be appealed.

Aboutrika was sentenced in absentia; he has lived since his 2013 soccer retirement in Qatar, where he works as a sports analyst.

Egypt froze Aboutrika's assets in 2015 and placed him on a no-fly list in 2017 over allegations of links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, labelled a terrorist organisation.

Monday's ruling by the Cairo misdemeanor court said Aboutrika failed to pay 710 000 Egyptian pounds — about $39 500 — in taxes on income from advertising deals in 2008 and 2009.