The inspiring story of Egypt and Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah

A visit to the Pharaohs and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah's home village reveals the inspiring story of a man with the footballing world at his feet. (REUTERS)
Updated 04 March 2018
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The inspiring story of Egypt and Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah

BASYOUN, Egypt: In front of the Arab Contractors Club in Jabal Al-Asfar, east of Cairo, I embarked on a journey to Najrij, the hometown of Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah.
It is an arduous trip, one that the 25-year-old used to make every day, but one that reveals a lot about the drive and determination that have made Salah one of the best footballers in the world.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The journey started near the El-Mokawloon Club, where I boarded a minibus that took me to Ramses Square in the center of Cairo. It did not take long for the bus to become packed. Having broken free from Cairo’s notoriously crowded streets, we traveled 100 kilometers on bumpy roads to El-Maarad station in Tanta, a two-hour journey. Two hours, and another two taxi journeys later, I finally reached Salah’s hometown.
While neighboring villages had gates and signs displaying their names, Najrij had neither, and it was not until I asked the taxi driver that I was actually able to find my destination.
Najrij’s main street is a paved road that runs through alfalfa and wheat fields before reaching the village center. After walking for about 500 meters, I finally arrived at the street on which Salah and his family lived.
The four-hour journey from El-Mokawloon Club to his house was long and exhausting. But while I made the trip just once, it is a journey a young Salah took every day — back and forth — just so he could stay with his family and be with the people most important in his life.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
There was nothing exceptional about Salah’s three-story house. Similar to others around it, its exterior façade was unpainted, except for the balconies. The iron gate was closed, as was the garage.
Salah’s neighbors are used to seeing the world’s press descend on their street in search of where the star grew up. These streets were the arena where he played with friends, learning and honing his exceptional talent, scoring thousands of goals, before gaining experience playing alongside the footballers of the local Amateur Youth Center.
The Egyptian football star’s instructions to his family members are strict: “Do not speak to the media at all.”
According to sources close to his family, Salah feared that they would be chased and annoyed by the press delving into their personal lives. This move was praised by some, who felt he was simply making sure his private life was respected, while others criticized him, saying that people had a right to know details of the Egyptian star’s life.
But due to the silence little is known about what makes Salah tick and the foundations of what is fast becoming an exceptional career.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
Walking around Najrij’s narrow streets and alleys, you would not guess that this was where one of the world’s best players grew up. There was not a single picture of the country’s favorite son on display, either on his house or anywhere else.
But while his face his absent from Najrij, his sense of civic duty and kindness is clearly evident. Across the village it was easy to find projects created and funded by Salah. There was the Azhari Institute for Girls, being built at a cost of 8 million Egyptian pounds ($450,000), according to the village’s mayor, Maher Shatiya. Salah has also helped build an outlet to sell National Service Projects Organization products in the village, as well as a building for ambulance services.
Walking through the village, it was not long before I stumbled across a store for school supplies owned by Hajj Mohammed El-Bahnasi. The 60-year-old used the small shop as a temporary head office for the Salah Foundation, which he managed in cooperation with a board of trustees that included Salah’s father, uncle and brother.
El-Bahnasi, like the rest of Najrij, is used to being hosted by local and foreign media. After selling drawing pads to two young girls, he straightened his back and said in a calm tone: “I don’t know why the media is so concerned with the details of the foundation’s work. This is charity work and must be kept secret so that it gets rewarded by God.”
I asked him to speak about the foundation in general — as he wished.
“Captain Mohamed suggested starting this foundation after spending a few days in the village last Ramadan and noticing how people in need went and knocked on the door of his family’s house. He and his father responded to several requests they received, but he decided there and then it would be better to organize this work and ensure help reached those who deserved it.
“We have identified those in need in our village first because we are aware of their circumstances.”
Today, about 400 families in the village, including widows, orphans, and those who are ill, receive assistance. On top of that the foundation finances a few marriages and helps Syrian refugees in the Gharbia Governorate, where the village is located.
El-Bahnasi believes “Salah’s success with Liverpool is a result of his proximity to God and his humanitarian and moral commitment, as well as the prayers of millions of loyal Egyptians.”

GLOBAL SUPERSTAR
El-Bahnasi’s son, Mahmoud, is a close friend of Salah’s; they speak regularly and discuss the Egyptian star’s performances in the Premier League and Champions League.
Of the new anthem sung by Liverpool fans, in which they chant: “If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me. If he scores another few, then I’ll be Muslim, too,” El-Bahnasi said: “Every day after I perform Salat Al-Fajr, I surf social networking and news websites. One day and by coincidence, I read the news about the anthem the fans created for our son, Mohamed Salah, and I immediately broke into tears because Mohamed the Muslim still holds on to the morals of Najrij and everyone respects him and loves what he does — like prostrating in the pitch after scoring goals.
“Mohammed taught the Europeans that Islam encourages sincerity and diligence in everything we do. His success was not a coincidence because success requires hard work.”

THE MAYOR’S MEMORIES
Close to El-Bahnasi’s house is the home of Najrij’s mayor, Maher Shatiya. He was waiting for me on the balcony of his house, overlooking the street.
After Salah stopped his family speaking to the media, Shatiya, together with a few other villagers, took responsibility for speaking to journalists and answering their questions.
Sitting back and speaking in a tone that exuded both pride and enthusiasm, Shatiya said: “Mohamed was a very ordinary child — like all the other children in this village. He inherited his love for playing football from his father and uncles, who played with the village’s Amateur Youth Center’s team during the 1980s and 1990s.
“Salah’s father noticed his son’s talent and had him join the Ittihad Basyoun team when he was 12 years old.
“One day, Reda El-Mallah, a football scout, came to our village to watch another child named Sherif and possibly persuade him to join one of El-Mokawloon’s small teams in Tanta.
“He asked the children to play against Sherif so he could assess him. But watching the match there was one player who stood out — Mohamed Salah. So he asked him to play with El-Mokawloon in Tanta. From there Salah went on to play with the club’s youth team in Cairo, then for their first-team in the Premier League.
“It was then he began to make a name for himself across Egypt and it wasn’t long before European teams showed an interest.”
Salah’s first foray into European club football was with Swiss side Basel, where he moved in 2012. While at the Swiss giants he caught the eye of Chelsea and moved to Stamford Bridge two years later. Later success with Roma persuaded Liverpool to part with as much as £38 million ($52 million) and since his move to Anfield he has been setting the footballing world alight.

HOMEBOY AT HEART
Shatiya told me a story about Salah’s wedding that illustrates his love and attachment to Najrij.
“Salah’s henna party (a party thrown on the day before the wedding day) was held here,” he said. “And even though his wedding was in Cairo, he spent his honeymoon in the village.”
He added: “Salah walks around the village like any other young man. He knocks on the neighbors’ doors to say hello to them during occasions.
“He also renewed the tradition of visiting families during Eid and visited me when he was in the village last Ramadan after I was injured in a car accident.”




Mohamed Salah greets a neighbor on one of his many trips home. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

As if to illustrate the love the village has for Salah and the awe he inspires in children, three cafes were opened in Najrij after Salah become famous, just to accommodate all the football-mad children who are always keen to watch all his games.
“Our greatest wish was to see Salah play in the Egyptian Premier League, but he exceeded all expectations and played with the world’s greatest clubs and became the best footballer in Africa.”

HUMBLE HERO
I left the mayor’s house and headed to the Azhari Institute for Girls, which is still under construction, with Hassan Bakr, a social researcher at the Salah Foundation. When we headed toward the village’s youth center, which was renamed “Mohamed Salah’s Youth Center,” I asked my companion what he liked most about Salah, and his response was: “His humbleness.”
The center has a football pitch, and the main building was decorated with a big sign featuring Salah’s name. We saw a few children practicing karate inside one of the halls.
I bid Bakr farewell and left, returning to Cairo by the same route — another trip that lasted four exhausting hours. But while making my way back to the capital, I remembered this was the exact journey the Egyptian star would take every day and, despite the hardship, it only made him more determined to succeed and achieve his dream.


Lewandowski hits Champions League century as Barca beat Brest

Updated 27 November 2024
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Lewandowski hits Champions League century as Barca beat Brest

  • It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140

BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday.
The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat.
After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display.
They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest.
The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century.
It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140.
Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.
The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
“I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
“For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution.
“I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.”
Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings.
They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header.
The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg.
Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort.
Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post.
Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium.
Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 traveling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for offside.
Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide.
Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm.
Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a play-off spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly.
Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta.


Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

Updated 27 November 2024
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Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City’s players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games.
Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw.
After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned.
While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on.
Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head.
City’s players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium.
City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival.

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite

Updated 27 November 2024
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Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite

  • The 3 Saudi teams maintain stranglehold on 12-team Group B after matchday 5 of 8, with Al-Ahli top on 15 points, followed by Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr on 13
  • Riyadh side open scoring in 10th minute but Al-Sadd remain a threat throughout highly competitive encounter and the pressure pays off with an equalizer after 71 minutes

DOHA: A 1-1 draw with Al-Sadd in Qatar on Tuesday was enough for Al-Hilal to book their place in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League Elite with three group games to spare.
The three Saudi teams in the competition maintain their stranglehold on the 12-team Group B after the fifth round of games, with Al-Ahli topping the group on a maximum 15 points, two ahead of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. All three have already qualified for the last 16.
During a highly competitive encounter in Qatar, the result of which might have gone either way, Al-Sadd asked some tough questions of the visitors early on, perhaps aware of how Al-Khaleej came back from two goals down to defeat Al-Hilal 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
However, it was the men from Riyadh who opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Mohammed Kanno rose high at the near post to meet a Salem Al-Dawsari corner and flick it on to defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, who was waiting to slide the ball home from close range with the kind of goal-scoring instincts teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic would surely have been proud of.
Five minutes later, the Serbian striker himself had a great chance but headed over with the goal at his mercy. Marcos Leonardo came closer just before the break with a low shot from outside the box that goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham did well to get a hand to.
It was not all one-way traffic, however. Al-Sadd, winners of the Champions League in 2011, had a couple of good efforts in the first half, with Youcef Atal and Mohammed Camara asking the questions.
Early in the second half, Akram Afif — recently crowned the successor to Al-Dawsari as AFC Player of the Year — shot just wide from outside the box as he tried to get more into the game.
The tie was almost put beyond the home side on the hour mark but Mitrovic shot just wide from close range after Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a fierce cross from the left.
Al-Sadd, however, started to pile on the pressure and were rewarded with the equalizer in the 71st minute. Afif curled a low cross around the defense from the left and Paulo Otavio got to the ball just ahead of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Al-Sadd continued to press forward and looked the likelier of the two teams to score, with Tarek Salman heading against the crossbar with Bounou beaten.
There was still time, though for the video assistant referee to consider, and reject, three Al-Hilal shouts for penalties, the last of which came in the 15th minute of added time. Ultimately, though, the spoils were shared and that was enough for Al-Hilal on the night.


AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

Updated 26 November 2024
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AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

  • Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack
  • Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout

ROME: AC Milan followed up their win at Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory at last-place Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack. Then Rafael Leao restored the Rossoneri’s advantage after Tigran Barseghyan had equalized for Bratislava and Tammy Abraham quickly added another.
Nino Marcelli scored with a long-range strike in the 88th for Bratislava, which ended with 10 men.
Milan moved up to 10th place in the new single-league format and within sight of the automatic qualifying spots. Bratislava have lost all five of their matches.
Milan won 3-1 at Madrid in their previous match.
Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout
Argentina World Cup winner Julian Alvaraz scored twice, and Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0 to move up to ninth.
Alvaraz scored with a free kick 15 minutes in and Marcos Llorente added a long-range strike before the break. Alvaraz finished off a counterattack early in the second half after being set up by substitute Antoine Griezmann, who then marked his 100th Champions League game by getting on the scoresheet himself.
Angel Correa added a late brace for Atletico.
Atletico beat Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and extended their winning streak across all competitions to six matches.
Sparta remained in the elimination places with four points.
The top eight finishers in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February, while the bottom 12 teams are eliminated.


Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale

Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale

  • Saudi Arabia chased a target of 134 runs in 18.4 overs to end Thailand’s qualification hopes
  • Thailand was restricted to 133-7 in 20 overs after exceptional bowling from the player of the match, Zain Ul Abidin

Saudi Arabia registered their third win in a row in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier as they beat Thailand by five wickets in Qatar on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia chased a target of 134 runs in 18.4 overs to end Thailand’s qualification hopes. The Kingdom had a rough start to the tournament with consecutive losses in the first two matches. With this win, Saudi Arabia now have a chance to finish in the top two and qualify for the regional finals.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia invited Thailand to bat first at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. Thailand was restricted to 133-7 in 20 overs after exceptional bowling from the player of the match, Zain Ul Abidin.

The left-arm spinner gave away just 19 runs in his four-over spell with the wickets of Nitish Salekar and Udsak Saranonnakkun, both in the sixth over of the innings. His double wicket meant Thailand slumped to 46-3 in the powerplay.

Opener Akshyakumar Yadav fought a lone battle at the top of the batting order, scoring 60 runs. He hit seven fours and a six in his 51-ball innings. He received little support from skipper Austin Lazarus toward the end. Lazarus hit five fours and a six in his 25-ball 35.

Ul Abidin was supported by two wickets from Abdul Wahid and one each from Ishtiaq Ahmad and Waji Ul Hassan.

In reply, Saudi Arabia lost Wahid in the second over after he was caught behind for just six runs. A centurion in the previous match, Faisal Khan continued his hitting prowess with five fours and a six in his 34-run innings. Siddharth Sankar kept the runs flowing with a run-a-ball 37, which included three boundaries.

Saudi Arabia lost wickets at regular intervals, but Manan Ali and Ul Abidin saw them home. Both were unbeaten on identical 13 runs off 10 balls each. Nopphon Senamontree and Sarawit Maliwan took two wickets each while Salekar grabbed a wicket for Thailand.

The other match on the day saw Qatar concede a 29-run defeat against UAE, which means the Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar match could be a winner-takes-all match on the final day. The UAE, on the other hand, have booked their place in the regional finals with five wins out of five. They have an unassailable 10-point lead at the top and will face Bahrain on the final day.

Bahrain themselves are on six points and will need to beat the UAE to have any chance of qualification. The final round of fixtures will be played on Thursday with qualification hopefuls Qatar and Saudi Arabia facing each other. Qatar has eight points and Saudi Arabia has six, meaning a UAE win and their win in the final match will be enough as Saudi Arabia already has a superior run rate to Qatar.

Opener Khan was ecstatic with the result and was focused on the next match. “We got the result today and we are happy. Now our focus is on the next match. Like today, the match against Qatar is a final for us and inshallah, we will qualify for the next round,” he said.

The top two teams from this tournament will join the final round of regional qualifiers. Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spot from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals as they have qualified for the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup held in the US and West Indies. The regional qualifier will be played in Malaysia in August 2025.