There is no doubt that stability and calm within the Egyptian national team are of utmost importance in the coming period, given the important upcoming events, most notably the qualifiers and finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. Therefore, it is crucial to resolve the current dispute between coach Hossam Hassan and team captain Mohamed Salah as quickly as possible in order to restore stability to the team
The dispute began when Hossam substituted Salah in the 60th minute of the match against Angola in the first round of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, a match that ended in a goalless draw in Cairo. As a result, Salah withdrew from the national team and did not participate in the match against South Sudan in the second round, which the Egyptian national team won 5-0 in Juba. The stated reason was at the request of his Turkish club, Trabzonspor, where Salah plays, due to fears of injury because of the artificial turf of the Juba stadium. There are also reports indicating his absence from the friendly match against South Africa next Sunday in Cairo, a match in which Hossam is also expected to give the national team's substitutes a chance. Then came Hossam's statements in the press conference after the South Sudan match, which increased the dispute between him and Salah
There is no doubt that Salah is one of the most important symbols of Egyptian sports. His name, numbers, and achievements speak for themselves. However, to manage things within the national team and organize the relationship between the technical staff and the players, it is necessary for the technical decision to be in the hands of the head coach. He is ultimately responsible for the results and makes his technical decisions according to his coaching vision and professional conscience. Yes, Salah is a legend that is difficult to replicate, but there is an old wisdom that we learned from the masters and pioneers in the field of sports analysis, which is that the player is a player and the coach is a coach. There is a well-known saying that a ship with two captains sinks. It will not detract from Salah or diminish his stardom to abide by the head coach's decisions. What Salah has achieved in terms of numbers, accomplishments, his extreme professionalism, and his commitment to his work has made him a role model for all generations, whether inside or outside the sports community. When he is keen to be the first to abide by the head coach's decisions, this is not new to him, as he has always been distinguished by professionalism and commitment, as we mentioned
The Egyptian national team is full of stars, including Salah, Trezeguet, Marmoush, Zizo, and many others. It wouldn't make sense for the coach to allocate playing time based on player stardom. If we look at world-class teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and others, a team like Barcelona is full of world-class stars. If the German coach, Hansi Flick, were to allocate playing time based on player stardom, and the same thing happened at Real Madrid or City, it would create chaos within the team. Therefore, all authority must rest with the coach, who should have the power to make all the technical and administrative decisions he deems necessary, from announcing the squad list and including or excluding players to selecting the starting lineup and making substitutions at appropriate times, etc
Yes, Mohamed Salah is one of the most important and greatest legends of Egyptian football, but he has already made his name, his history and his records, and he will still make many records and achievements with the Egyptian national team and his Turkish club Trabzonspor in the future, God willing. Therefore, his commitment to the technical director’s point of view will not diminish his records and achievements in any way, but will make him continue to dedicate himself as a role model in commitment and professionalism
The Egyptian Football Association is required to support Hossam and his technical staff, as he was the one who chose him to coach the national team based on his name, history and capabilities, and to work on mending the rift between him and Salah so that stability returns to the Egyptian national team as soon as possible, God willing
