Egyptian star Mo Salah could be done playing for his national team — at least at the 2018 World Cup. Reports surfaced Wednesday that Salah’s unhappiness with team management could lead to him leaving Russia early and leaving the Pharaohs to play the final game of the group stage without him.
Mo Salah refutes report he’ll skip Egypt’s final World Cup match
Reports suggest the Liverpool star is frustrated with Egypt’s management.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Egypt played its opening game at the 2018 World Cup without Salah due to a dislocated shoulder, but he returned in time to score his team’s only goal in a next-game loss to Russia. He’s healthy enough to return for the Pharaohs’ upcoming game against regional rival Saudi Arabia, but this disagreement could be enough to keep him from playing in the team’s last game in Volgograd.
Losing Salah wouldn’t make an impact on the team’s immediate future — Egypt won’t be advancing to the Round of 16 after starting group play with an 0-2 record. However, any issues between the team and its top player could be disastrous for the nation’s future hopes on the pitch. Salah is just 26 years old and likely to be a fixture of the Pharaohs for years to come.
According to reports unearthed by Zidan, Salah’s frustrations stem from how the team handled its training camp. Egypt apparently allowed several non-players to attend, creating distractions that ultimately prevented the team from reaching its potential. When Egypt officials asked him not to speak to the press while angry, Salah removed himself from a team event and chose not to speak with anyone for several hours.
Salah took to Twitter Wednesday afternoon to refute the reports.
Which, when loosely translated, comes out to:
Everyone in Egypt is together and there is absolutely no disagreement between us ... We respect each other and the relationship is best.
However, reports out of Egypt suggest tension remains between the two parties. We’ll update this story as more news surfaces.
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