Salah’s statements raise a storm of controversy…and the Football Association intervenes

The statements of the Egyptian national team captain, Mohamed Salah, after yesterday’s match between Benin in the African Cup of Nations, sparked a storm of controversy on social media, which required the intervention of the Egyptian Football Association to put an end to the ongoing debate.

Salah had said, in an interview with the beIN Sports network, in response to a question about the Egyptian national team not being nominated to win the tournament: “Most players in Egypt play in the local league, and this is what I can say, and my presence here is a great honor for me.”

These statements sparked controversy among the fans, as some considered them an underestimation of the players’ efforts, before the Egyptian Football Association issued a clarification regarding what was stated in the television interview.

The Football Association confirmed, in a statement sent to journalists, that the translator moved to another sentence without translating Salah’s entire speech, explaining that the national team captain said in text: “I do not think we are candidates for the title. We have young players, and most of them play in the local league.” We are only fighting for our country, and we will see where we can reach, and each of us gives our best.”

In the same context, Egyptian media quoted a member of the Football Association’s Board of Directors, Mustafa Abu Zahra, as confirming that Mohamed Salah did not commit any error in his statements following the Benin match, which ended with the Egyptian team winning by three goals to one.