The President of the Egyptian Football Association, Ahmed Megahed, revealed the latest updates regarding the position of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah on playing for his national team in the Tokyo Olympics. Megahed stated in press remarks that "our communications with Liverpool have not stopped, and we are seeking their approval for Salah to join the Olympic team." He indicated that "despite the lack of a final response from Liverpool, we are hopeful to obtain their consent. Salah's presence with the Olympic team is extremely important," as reported by the Spanish newspaper "AS."
Megahed noted in a conversation with Reuters that there is still plenty of time before the deadline for submitting the final squad for the tournament, as all participating teams must submit their final roster of 30 players by June 30.
The head coach of the Egyptian Olympic team, Shawky Gharib, had disclosed in March that Salah's participation in the Olympics is "a tripartite decision." Gharib mentioned at the time in an interview with AFP that "the decision for Mohamed Salah to join the national team is a tripartite one: first, a technical decision from me personally, then an administrative decision from Liverpool and their coach Jürgen Klopp, and finally the player's own desire to participate with us in the Olympics."
He added, "Salah's joining the national team in the Olympics was motivated by the state, represented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Football Association and the coaching staff, in search of an Olympic medal that would be the first in the history of Egyptian football's participation in the Olympics." He continued: "Salah's name as one of the top three players in the world will elevate the Pharaohs to another level in the Olympics," pointing out that "his presence would make a significant difference," citing the role of Brazilian Neymar da Silva, star of Paris Saint-Germain, in leading his national team to win the gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.
