Egyptian pundits have reacted to Mohamed Salah’s decision to leave the national team camp and during the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is currently taking place in Ivory Coast as Egypt kicked off the tournament with an unlikely start.
Despite being drawn in group B with Ghana, Mozambique, and Cape Verde, the Pharaohs are yet to earn their first win in the competition.
With consecutive 2-2 draws against Ghana and Mozambique, Egypt are currently placed second with two points and are in real danger of crashing out of the competition from the group stages.
The record AFCON champions desperately need a win against Cape Verde on Monday to secure qualification for the next round but the crucial encounter has been surrounded by a lot of controversy mainly because of Mohamed Salah.
What happened?
Liverpool’s no.11 suffered a hamstring injury against Ghana and has been ruled out for at least two games according to the Egyptian Football Association.
Just days after confirming the extent of the injury, Jurgen Klopp announced that his top scorer will return to ‘continue his rehab’ at Liverpool and may catch up with his country if they reach the final.
The news caused a stir among former Egyptian players and pundits who heavily criticised Salah’s commitment to the team.
Salah’s Egypt commitment in question
Four-time AFCON winner Ahmed Hassan believes Salah should remain in Egypt’s camp under any circumstance ‘even if he has one leg’.
“Salah is certainly an extraordinary player. He is the captain of the team and just like the coach, the captain’s role is on and off the pitch,” Hassan said via KingFut.
“He had the possibility of bringing in someone from Liverpool’s medical staff to be with him during the competition. Again, he is the captain. He should stay with the team no matter what, even if he had one leg to stand on.
“Liverpool say that Salah can return to the camp if Egypt get to the final, but why will he return if they actually reach the final, and why will they need him at that point in time?”
Meanwhile, former Werder Bremen centre-back Hany Ramzy shared Hassan’s thoughts but suggested that Liverpool may have forced Salah to make his early return.
“The Egyptian national team is bigger than any player. We shouldn’t forget the team and talk about one player.” Hany Ramzy added.
“The timing of Salah’s departure from the camp is shocking and what’s disappointing to me is that he could’ve had members of Liverpool’s medical staff with him in Ivory Coast for treatment.
“I would never make that decision if I was in his shoes. It’s possible that his club put him under pressure but it was crucial for him to be there for his teammates.
“But I still think that this will motivate other players to step up for Egypt and hopefully claim the AFCON title after he’s gone.”
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