Rabat, Morocco – Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, expressed his great happiness at the Pharaohs’ victory over Ivory Coast and qualification for the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, stressing his pride in the current generation of players and their fighting spirit.
The Egyptian national team had qualified for the semi-finals after defeating Ivory Coast with a score of (3-2), in the quarter-finals of the continental tournament.
Mohamed Salah said in post-match comments: “I am very happy with this victory, and the most important thing for me is the sense of pride I see among the people in Egypt regarding what I am doing. The secret to the victory is that all the players gave their all, and they are well aware that they are facing players of the highest level, most of whom play in European leagues”.
The team captain added, “I told my teammates in more than one meeting that I am extremely proud to play with them. I was fortunate to be part of the golden generation that won championships, but I feel even happier because I am living with this current generation, and I see the extent of the suffering and pressures they are exposed to day after day, especially in the age of social media, where the pressure has become much greater”.
He continued, “We all want to give something back to our country, and no player is holding back, from the oldest – and by that I mean the oldest, not the most senior – to the youngest player on the team. Everyone is happy and working together as one to achieve victory and bring joy to the Egyptian people”.
Mohamed Salah: This current training camp is one of the best I’ve experienced with the national team
Regarding the role of the technical director Hossam Hassan, Salah said: “His role is very influential, and frankly, this camp is one of the best camps I have experienced with the national team. If it were filmed, everyone would see the closeness between the players, the love and harmony within the team, the positive atmosphere and humor, as well as the commitment and work on and off the field”.
The Pharaohs’ captain continued talking about his personal ambition: “No one wants to win this tournament more than me. Thank God I have achieved everything in football except for this title, but putting too much pressure on the players will not benefit them. Therefore, I always try to bear this pressure myself, and I have been used to it for a long time”.
Salah pointed out the differences between the teams, saying: “Look at our competitors like Ivory Coast and Senegal; most of their players are professionals in Europe. We only have three professionals, and even back when Captain Hossam Hassan said we had two and a quarter professionals, we ended up with three-quarters professionals, and none of us are playing. But we all want to give something back to our country, to win this title”.
He concluded his remarks by saying: “Our rivals are the favorites to win the championship, and Senegal has 27 professional players and has been the continental champion for four years, but we will fight until the end”.
