Mohamed Salah, star and captain of the Egyptian national team, playfully teased his coach Hossam Hassan, recalling a famous statement the latter made in a lighthearted manner.
The Egyptian national team achieved a valuable 3-2 victory over Côte d’Ivoire, thus ensuring their qualification for the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations, where they will face Senegal in a crucial match next Wednesday.
Salah’s brilliance in the match earned him the “Man of the Match” award, after which he attended the press conference that followed the match.
In response to a journalist’s question, Salah said with a smile: “Since Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egyptian national team, said that he has 2 and a quarter professionals and we did not participate with the clubs we play for, it has become three-quarters of a professional.”
Salah also expressed his great happiness with the team’s ability to bring joy to the Egyptian fans by qualifying for the semi-finals, stressing his pride in playing with this distinguished generation of players, under the leadership of a great coach like Hossam Hassan.
He stressed that the “Man of the Match” award is an appreciation for the effort of the entire team, and that everyone realizes the value of wearing the Egyptian national team jersey.
He added: “We faced a strong opponent, the titleholder, and the Egyptian national team has great players, whether in Europe or the Egyptian League.”
He continued: “The current camp is the best in my career with the Egyptian national team… and I have won all the titles and I hope to win the African Cup of Nations title.”
Salah concluded his speech by pointing out that all the players are united as one team, expressing his thanks to Morocco for the excellent organization of the tournament.
