The Egyptian FA have slammed rumours that Liverpool ace Mo Salah threw a strop and refused to be subbed off while on international duty.
Salah, 31, was all in during the recent international break, where the Pharaohs clashed with Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup set for the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Salah banged in a belter in the second match, clinching a 1-1 draw. But then, he found himself at the centre of a substitution scandal.
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As stoppage time ticked away, Mostafa Fathi and Nasser Maher were lined up to hop onto the pitch, but only Maher made the cut. Whispers started that Fathi was meant to replace Salah, who apparently had other ideas and stayed put.
But the Egyptian FA has now put those whispers to bed with an official statement, clearing Salah’s name: “There is absolutely no truth to the rumours that Mohamed Salah refused to leave the pitch. Salah was not going to be substituted off in the first place.
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“Hossam Hassan was content with only bringing on Nasser Maher,” reports the Mirror. This isn’t the first time Salah’s been wrapped up in national team drama. Back in March, he was benched from the squad as he battled a pesky hamstring injury.
EFA board member Walid El-Attar delivered insights concerning the much-discussed return of the player, stating: “There was communication between Liverpool, the EFA, and Salah. There was also an exchange of official letters in which Salah’s full injury condition was explained.”
Emphasising on professional correspondence, he said, “Official communication is the most important, and this is what happened between Liverpool and the EFA. Personally, I had a phone call with Mohamed Salah.
(Image: Getty Images)
“The general idea is that Salah needs to return to the pitch gradually, and this is already happening with Liverpool. He needs continuous monitoring with the medical team.
“Salah will be absent from the upcoming Egyptian national team camp, but he will be present normally during the international break in June, which is the most important, as we will play World Cup qualifiers during that time.
“Mohamed Salah does not at all object to joining the Egyptian national team at any time. On the contrary, Salah loves to play for Egypt.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Everyone in the EFA and the Egyptian national team aims to promote the interest of the national team, as well as Mohamed Salah.”
The series of events unfolded after Salah needed to exit the Egypt camp prematurely due to an injury during the African Cup of Nations in January.