Los Angeles: Bob Bradley still recalls the sight of a teenage Mohamed Salah taking the first baby steps of his professional career.
“I remember it so easily. It took only one training session to realize how good he was,” the former Egypt manager said with a beaming smile, as he stands on the touchline of a training pitch after completing a morning session with his current employers Los Angeles FC.
Bradley’s reminiscing takes him back to the autumn of 2011, when he was coming to grips with the quirks of life in Cairo, the sluggish pace of Egyptian bureaucracy, and the hordes of young autograph-hunters who followed his every move.
Amid these cultural challenges, he needed to begin broadening his knowledge of the players at his disposal, after he had agreed to become Egypt boss following his dismissal as US head coach the previous July.
Thankfully, his assistant manager, Diaa El-Sayed, was the perfect professor for a crash-course on the Pharaohs ranks. Three months earlier, El-Sayed had led Egypt to the last 16 of the under-20s World Cup, where Salah, Mohamed Elneny and Ahmed Hegazi were engaging an audience outside their homeland for the first time.
Bradley was quick to visit Salah’s then employers.
“We started talking about his players and I watched Arab Contractors several times. They were a young team, whose results were great and had some real talent,” he said.
“But there were two young players who quickly stood out — Salah and Elneny. You knew immediately that here was a special talent.”
But any thoughts over the 19-year-old Salah’s potential ended with the horror of the Port Said stadium disaster and the subsequent suspension of domestic football. The possibility of scouting the winger regularly was no longer an option.
Bradley was forced to hold lengthy training camps to shape his side for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign and it was the youngsters from El-Sayed’s U20s squad who were fast-tracked into the senior ranks. It did not take long to grasp the possibilities ahead for one of them.
“As we started to work with Salah, it took one training session to realize how good he was,” said Bradley.
“I had sat in the stands and seen the talent, I had watched the videos from the U20s World Cup. But then I saw him training, how eager he was to learn, how quickly he picked up things. He had an open mind. He is smart, focused on getting better. He understood the little things we
wanted him to work on.
“He is a really good guy — bright and determined to get better, listen and work.
“But it wasn’t just the attitude. He had ideas on how to really play, how to use his qualities. You could see he had explosive speed.”
Salah and the new crop of Egyptian players ensured Bradley was an instant hit, with back-to-back World Cup qualifying victories over Mozambique and Guinea providing the foundations for a campaign that saw the Pharaohs go close to reaching the 2014 tournament. Ultimately, it was only a playoff defeat to Ghana, having won all six of their previous qualifying matches, that ended their passage to Brazil.
Bradley was not the only one to grasp the potential of the standout prospect at his disposal.
By the time Salah scored the winner in the 3-2 success over Guinea, he had already penned a four-year contract with FC Basel after the Swiss side had spotted his ability at the U20 World Cup. After the winger spent a week on trial with the club, Basel agreed a fee with Arab Contractors for his services.
“When Basel came in for him, he made the move there and continued to grow. That burning desire to get better never left him,” said Bradley.
Salah’s subsequent journey to Chelsea, Roma and Liverpool is well-documented thanks to his emergence as one of world football’s elite performers. Seven years on from that breakthrough U20 World Cup tournament, the 25-year-old will be one of the most eagerly anticipated attractions in Russia this summer.
Egypt will be far from a one-man band, however, with Hegazi and Elneny now joining Salah as established Premier League players. Bradley is still working with one member of the squad, too, after LAFC signed Omar Gaber on a season-long loan from Basel, ahead of their inaugural campaign in MLS.
Gaber struggled for first-team action at Basel, but Bradley is delighted to be reunited with the 26-year-old and believes he can make an impact in Russia.
“I’m so excited to be working with Omar again and for him to be going to the World Cup,” he said.
“He is a player the fans enjoy because he gives everything.”
But with a player of Salah’s pedigree at Egypt’s disposal, Bradley believes the Pharaohs have every chance of emerging from a group featuring Uruguay, Russia and Saudi Arabia, and reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in the country’s history.
Certainly the performance in the friendly against Portugal during the international break provided encouragement that Egypt can reach the last 16. A subsequent friendly defeat to Greece was far less heartening, but Salah was an unused substitute for that encounter.
Bradley said: “I’m so excited for him going to the World Cup.
“Egypt have got talented players and obviously now there’s a star, so I can’t wait to see how they get on in Russia.
‘It was clear he was good’: Former Egypt boss Bob Bradley recalls ‘special’ Mohamed Salah
‘It was clear he was good’: Former Egypt boss Bob Bradley recalls ‘special’ Mohamed Salah
- Bob Bradley: “It took only one training session to realize how good Salah was”
- Former Egypt coach recalls working with Liverpool superstar
Benzema breaks Al-Ahli hearts in Sea Derby Special
- For the 60,000 fans at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, there was plenty of excitement
- There was some worrying news for Al-Ittihad fans as goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic picked up an injury
JEDDAH: It was honors even in a thrilling Sea Derby on Saturday as Al-Ahli drew 2-2 with Al-Ittihad who twice came back to earn a precious point.
A 95th minute strike from Karim Benzema broke the hearts of home fans and put the leaders five points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League.
For the 60,000 fans at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, there was plenty of excitement and entertainment in a game that could have gone either way.
There was some worrying news for Al-Ittihad fans as goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic picked up an injury in the thrilling King’s Cup semifinal win over Al-Shabab on Tuesday but stand-in Mohammed Al-Mahasneh showed his worth early in the first start of the season.
In the eighth minute, he saved from Firas Al-Buraikan’s low shot from inside the area and then got down quickly to deny Ivan Toney from the rebound.
At the other end, Edouard Mendy returned to the number one position and returned to fitness for Al-Ahli, who had not played a competitive game for three weeks. There is no doubt however that his opposite number had more to do in the early exchanges. It could have been worse as Ittihad survived two penalty appeals turned down late in the first half.
The Tigers were, however, starting to look dangerous and just before the break, N’Golo Kante broke into the area, went around the goalkeeper but pulled his shot just wide.
The miss became more painful four minutes after the restart as Al-Ahli took the lead with a simple set piece. Riyad Mahrez swung over a corner kick from the left and Brazilian defender Ibanez climbed high on the edge of the six-yard box to head the Greens into a deserved lead.
It was all looking good for the hosts but then, with 15 minutes remaining, the fans in yellow and black were celebrating. Saleh Al-Shehri dropped deep and his slide rule pass found Moussa Diaby on the right side of the area and the French winger made no mistake with his first time shot.
Then, in the 82nd minute, Al-Ahli were back in front. Kante tried to block a cross but succeeded only in finding Ivan Toney and the England striker shot home from close range.
That strike looked as if it had won a famous victory for the home team but for the second time in four days, Al-Ittihad hit back deep into added time. Abdulelah Al-Amri found Benzema with an exquisite pass to the back post and the former Real Madrid star was never going to miss.
The goal takes the leaders onto 62 points from 26 games, five clear of Al-Hilal. Al-Nassr are third with 54, two and five ahead of Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli respectively.
Qatar’s Hit Show wins the Dubai World Cup at Meydan
- Horse owned by Emir of Qatar’s Wathnan Racing ridden to triumph by jockey Florent Geroux
LONDON: American horse Hit Show, owned by the Emir of Qatar’s Wathnan Racing, clinched victory in the Dubai World Cup’s main event on Saturday, topping a world-class field at Meydan Racecourse in the $12 million feature race.
Trained by Brad Cox, Hit Show was ridden to triumph by jockey Florent Geroux, completing the race in 2:03:50 minutes and securing the $6.96 million winner’s prize with just over a half-length lead.
American contender Mixto, owned by Calumet Farm and ridden by Frankie Dettori, finished second for trainer Doug O’Neill, earning $2.4 million.
Japan’s Forever Young, owned by Susumu Fujita and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, placed third under jockey Ryusei Sakai, collecting $1.2 million.
Saudi Arabia’s Walk of Stars, representing Athbah Racing, finished in fourth place.
Fenerbahce’s Mourinho banned for three games after nose grab incident in Istanbul derby
- The incident occurred at the end of the Turkish Cup quarter-finals
- A mass scuffle had broken out between both sets of players
ISTANBUL: Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has been banned for three matches and handed a fine of around 6,000 pounds ($7,734.00) after grabbing the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk in the Istanbul derby, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on Saturday.
The incident occurred at the end of the Turkish Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, which Mourinho’s side lost 2-1 at home.
A mass scuffle had broken out between both sets of players, with the referee sending three players off, two from Galatasaray, and after the final whistle the 62-year-old Portuguese appeared to pinch Buruk’s nose who then fell dramatically to the ground.
“Mourinho shall be banned from entering the dressing room and the bench for three official matches,” TFF said in a statement.
Mourinho will miss the games against Trabzonspor, Sivasspor and Kayserispor.
Fenerbahce are second in the Super Lig, trailing leaders Galatasaray by six points with a game in hand.
PSG win 13th French title ahead of Aston Villa Champions League clash
- PSG needed just a draw in front of their own fans to be confirmed as champions again
- Desire Doue’s strike early in the second half decided the game in PSG’s favor, allowing Luis Enrique’s team to take the title with six matches still to play
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain clinched the Ligue 1 title on Saturday with a 1-0 win at home against Angers as they prepare for a Champions League quarter-final showdown with Aston Villa.
PSG needed just a draw in front of their own fans to be confirmed as champions again, having started the day a huge 21 points clear of nearest challengers Monaco with seven matches left.
Desire Doue’s strike early in the second half decided the game in PSG’s favor, allowing Luis Enrique’s team to take the title with six matches still to play.
It is a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title for the club from the French capital and their 11th in the last 13 seasons, highlighting the extent to which they have dominated domestically since being taken over by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011.
“Our ambition is to win everything,” said captain Marquinhos, who has now won 10 titles since joining the club in 2013, to broadcaster beIN Sports.
“It is a nice feeling. It is the reward for the work we have put in throughout the season, for our consistency, and the team deserves it,” added the Brazilian center-back, who will be suspended for the first leg against Villa.
PSG’s overall tally of 13 French league titles is three more than Saint-Etienne, who are the next most successful club with 10 but have not been champions since 1981.
Marseille have won nine titles, while Nantes and Monaco have each been champions on eight occasions.
The extent to which winning the French league has become a routine exercise for the Parisian outfit helps explain why celebrations were far from excessive on a beautiful spring day in the city.
However, Luis Enrique was raised aloft by members of his coaching staff while the PSG players undertook a lap of honor of the Parc des Princes pitch.
The trophy ceremony will take place at a later date, with PSG maintaining their focus on the European clash with Villa, who visit the Parc des Princes for the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday, before the return in England on April 15.
However, PSG have another objective in their sights in the league, one which would make this title triumph stand out above all others.
They remain undefeated after 28 matches, with 23 wins and just five draws, and are on course to become the first team to complete a Ligue 1 campaign without losing a game.
The closest any French side has come to an unbeaten season remains Nantes, who went undefeated through their first 32 matches before losing their only game on the way to winning the title in 1994/95.
That was a 38-game season, while PSG will only play 34 matches in this campaign, with the league having recently been reduced from 20 clubs to 18.
They will not play again in Ligue 1 until a home meeting with Le Havre on April 19, with next week’s trip to Nantes postponed to April 22 in order to allow PSG to recover in between the two legs of their tie against Villa.
Ousmane Dembele, PSG’s top scorer with 32 goals in all competitions this season, was rested at kick-off against Angers, having netted twice in the 4-2 midweek win over second-tier Dunkerque in the semifinals of the French Cup.
Bradley Barcola, the team’s second-top marksman on 18 goals, was also left out of the starting line-up and it was far from a vintage performance by the home side.
They were perhaps fortunate early on when Angers forward Esteban Lepaul ran through on goal before being outmuscled by Willian Pacho, the challenge a fair one in the eyes of the referee.
Doue was on hand to convert from a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cross 10 minutes into the second half as he scored his 11th goal in all competitions since signing from Rennes at the start of the season.
That proved enough for PSG to win the game and take the title, maintaining Luis Enrique’s record of having won every domestic trophy since he took over prior to last season.
Monaco are in action later away to Brest, while Lyon host Lille in Saturday’s other Ligue 1 game, a key encounter in the fight for Champions League qualification.
Wijnaldum ensures Eastern derby ends all square
- Hosts Al-Qadsiah take lead before Ettifaq grab second-half equalizer
- Newly promoted Al-Qadsiah remain 4th on Saudi Pro League table
RIYADH: The Eastern derby ended 1-1 on Saturday as Al-Qadsiah were held by Ettifaq in what was a blow to their chances of a top-three finish, and a place in next season’s AFC Champions League.
Newly promoted Al-Qadsiah took the lead, had the best of the possession, chances and the game in general, but could not get the all-important second goal to kill the contest off, and Wijnaldum ensured that they paid the price in the second half.
Al-Qadsiah remain fourth on the Saudi Pro League table, two points behind Al-Nassr and five behind second-placed Al-Hilal.
Going into the game, the hosts were on a high after booking their first-ever place in the final of the King’s Cup on Wednesday, and all was looking good at the break as they took the lead.
Mohammed Qasem picked up the ball on the left, near the Ettifaq area, and curled a cross into the six-yard box. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tried to get a head on it and did enough to distract goalkeeper Marek Rodak, who could not gather the ball. Instead, it bounced out to Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, who reacted quickly to fire home from close range.
Ettifaq have been in good form, however, since the departure of Steven Gerrard as head coach in late January. Under Saad Al-Shehri, the replacement for the Liverpool legend, the Greens had taken 16 points from their last previous eight games to move up to seventh in the table, though the last match was a defeat against struggling Al-Fayha.
They were always in the game and then, three minutes after the hour, grabbed the equalizer. It came from a similar position on the pitch as Qadsiah’s opener. Vitinho curled a free kick into the area for a number of white shirts to attack the ball and Wijnaldum got there first, heading past goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
It was the 11th league goal of the season for the former Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, an impressive return.
Both teams pushed forward in an attempt to take all three points, but in the end, they had to settle for one each.
