The Egyptian Football Association has cleared the star of the national team and top scorer for Liverpool and the English Premier League, Mohamed Salah, of any responsibility for the presence of private security bodyguards during his time in Egypt to participate with the national team in the World Cup 2022 African qualifiers. The Egyptian Federation stated in an official statement on Wednesday that Salah did not request private security.
The presence of bodyguards accompanying Mohamed Salah during the Egypt vs. Gabon match on Tuesday in the World Cup qualifiers sparked widespread debate on social media. Former Egyptian national team coach Alaa Nabil criticized the scene of private security accompanying Salah in all his movements, stating in remarks on the "Match" program on Sada El Balad channel: "It's a difficult sight... You are among your family and your people, Salah."
The statement from the Football Association is as follows: "The Egyptian Football Association, led by Ahmed Megahid, confirms that the private security for the national team players is the responsibility of the association and not a request from any of its players, as part of the federation's commitment to preventing any member of the team from facing any disturbances, especially amid the ongoing spread of the Coronavirus. Additionally, it is natural for Mohamed Salah, the team's star, to receive special attention in certain situations given the incidents witnessed during the recent Angola vs. Egypt match, where the game was interrupted several times by fans invading the pitch to take commemorative photos with him as one of the game's global stars, in addition to what occurred after the Egypt vs. Comoros match."
The Egyptian Federation also clarified that the deployment of the security team on the field during the recent Egypt vs. Gabon match was a necessary measure to manage a celebration on the field before the match, which involved numerous individuals unrelated to the game.
Furthermore, the Football Association reaffirms its commitment to enforcing order in football stadiums while also taking into account the nature of the criticisms directed in this matter and its rejection of any excessive measures by those responsible for executing this task.
