Yesterday afternoon, the Egypt squad that will participate in the 2018 World Cup landed in Grozny, Russia. That’s where Mohamed Salah and his friends will prepare for the upcoming battles in Group A.
Mohamed Salah’s presence at the World Cup was put in doubt after a reckless tackle by Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos during the Champions League final in Kiev that left the Egyptian laying on the ground, screaming in pain while holding his shoulder.
“When I fell to the ground, I felt a mixture of physical pain and a lot of concern,”
Not only was Salah worried about leaving his Liverpool teammates in a lurch, he was also devastated by the prospect of missing the World Cup.
“Moments later, I also thought about the possibility of not playing in the World Cup and that was a devastating thought. It was the worst moment of my career.”
وصول المنتخب المصري إلي روسيا 🇪🇬🇷🇺#الفراعنة#ThePharaohs pic.twitter.com/ymh9WB0QcH
— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) June 10, 2018
Ramos apologized during and after the game, but has since claimed that Mo could’ve kept playing if he had just received an injection to kill the pain. Liverpool’s winger didn’t want to get into an argument and simply responded with a sly dig:
“My comment is that it’s always okay when the one who made you cry first, then makes you laugh. Maybe he could also tell me if I’m going to be ready for the World Cup?”
After dominating tournaments on the African continent for years, Egypt finally qualified for a World Championship, its first in 28 years. Salah’s 95th minute penalty kick in the penultimate match against Congo gave The Pharaohs this opportunity and it would’ve been a cruel joke by destiny to keep him away from what he worked so hard to accomplish.
The Egyptian kept everyone updated on the recovery process and is looking hopeful to play in the first game versus Luis Suarez’s Uruguay, even though he’s yet to participate in a training session with his teammates.
“Now I’m better. I hope to play the first game against Uruguay, but that will depend on how I feel when it approaches.”
The forward is one of the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or 2018 after scoring 44 goals in all competitions, so it’s understandable how much his presence in the squad means for his country.
🛫🇷🇺#ThePharaohs pic.twitter.com/FyOdUuqfIR
— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) June 10, 2018
“I promise you, I will do my best to be ready for the World Cup and to achieve the Egyptian dream,”
“I will never give up on our dream. I promise to do my best for our people.”
Egypt’s opening match is on June 15. After that, it takes on host Russia on June 19, before closing the group stage with a matchup against Saudi Arabia. If the Egyptians do manage to qualify, which largely depends on whether or not Mohamed Salah is on the team, their most likely Round of 16 opponents will be either Portugal or Span. Just imagining Salah and Ramos on the same field again gives me goose bumps.
In the meantime, Egypt will be patient with its superstar and will do its best to get acclimated to the conditions in Russia.
