'It's not going to be pretty - but Egypt expects': Can Salah & Marmoush finally click?
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Among its passengers was the Yugoslavian football team, heading to the first World Cup.The Yugoslavs should have been joined by Egypt’s national team but their boat from Africa encountered heavy delays in a stormy Mediterranean Sea and they did not make the connection for the trip to Uruguay.And ever since that ill-fated journey, when it comes to the World Cup, Egypt have been missing the boat in one way or another.Giants of African football, but minnows in the World Cup pool. Their attack is led by the inimitable Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush.Egypt does not expect to win the World Cup, but it does expect to win a game.And, of course, Egypt expects Salah to deliver.“Salah single-handedly dragged them to the 2018 World Cup but he has not won anything with them,” says renowned African football expert, Ali Howorth.
“They are the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) team, they have won it more than anyone else but Salah has not won it.“And in 2018, after he was injured by Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final, there was so much desperate energy in Egypt for him to be fit for the World Cup.“And when he did play - when he should not have - he had a poor tournament and Egypt had a terrible tournament.“That was hard for Egyptians to process. There is a lot of hysteria in Egypt around the World Cup, mainly because they simply have not achieved what they should have achieved.”Eight years on from the disappointment in Russia - Egypt failed to qualify for Qatar 2022 - and the country’s hopes are still pinned on the player who said an emotional goodbye to Liverpool at the end of the club season.“He has not won anything but he is seen as the Greatest Of All Time,” says Howorth.
It certainly expects a first victory at the finals of a World Cup tournament.And for progression from the group, they will be looking towards Salah, who will turn 34 on the day of the opener against the Belgians.“There is a sense that Egypt owes it to Salah to bring their best in order to get the best out of him,” says Howorth. There is a sense that this is Salah’s last chance to do something really great with Egypt.