Mohamed Salah offered the news a nation wanted to hear, but it was felt far beyond his country’s borders.
“It was a very tough night, but I’m a fighter,” the Egyptian tweeted on Sunday, less than 24 hours after he departed the Uefa Champions League final in tears, the final billed as his as much as it was Liverpool’s, or Real Madrid’s, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s. “Despite the odds, I’m confident that I’ll be in Russia to make you all proud. Your love and support will give me the strength I need.”
The power to perform had deserted Salah the previous night, a half hour into the clash in Kiev, when Sergio Ramos yanked him to the turf. Salah attempted to continue, but the pain was too great. The magnitude of the injury was too.
There were fears Salah had dislocated his shoulder, ending not only his season with Liverpool, but his World Cup hopes. Seeking to assuage the angst, the Egyptian Football Association announced Salah had sprained ligaments, predicting his return within three weeks. The World Cup was 19 days away; Egypt’s Group A opener against Uruguay one day more. Egypt’s first World Cup match in 28 years.
______________
Read more:
Richard Jolly: Champions League final proved a cruel affair for Salah and Karius
Ian Hawkey: Bale's final heroics delivered in defiance amid uncertain Real Madrid future
Fans celebrate Uefa Champions League title in streets of Kiev and Madrid - in pictures
______________
As the country sought reassurance, sports minister Khaled Abul Aziz took to Facebook, stating the injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared, that two weeks was indeed the prognosis. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi conveyed his hopes of a speedy recovery, then later following a conversation with "Egyptian champion" Salah, said his national team’s prized asset was excited to not only participate in Russia, but shine.
“I have assured him that he has become an Egyptian symbol that makes every Egyptian proud and glorious,” Sisi tweeted. “I pray to God, as a dad praying for his son, to protect him and recover him well.”
For that is what Salah has come to represent, how his reputation has risen and his influence intensified. He is a footballer, yes, but as Sisi underlined, he is also Egypt’s son, the country’s shining light, a beacon of hope, the smiling, selfless philanthropist who impacts his country through football and his many charitable pursuits.
The World Cup felt an obvious place to celebrate that. It provided another opportunity for the cult of Salah to swell. With Salah, Egypt could dream of getting beyond the group stages and more, for he pushes back their boundaries, lessens their limitations, makes the impossible appear that little easier to reach out and touch. Without Salah, a competent-yet-modest Egypt look exactly that.
His authority on the pitch is obvious: 44 goals in a debut season at Liverpool; the nerveless, injury-time penalty against Congo to seal Egypt's place in Russia.
In March, Ahmed Elmohamady, one of the team's most experienced players and who grew up in the same city as Salah, told The National: "He's a player who can do something at any time. We need him at the World Cup."
Away from the pitch, Salah mixes comfortably with teammates and technical staff, the focus of apparently everyone but those inside the squad. He seems almost a reluctant star, although it is a weight he wears well.
The load will only thicken, as the days until his return are logged, as the clamour surrounding his fitness amplifies. David Beckham has been there, in 2002, so too Wayne Rooney, in 2006. Ditto Luis Suarez or Cristiano Ronaldo last time out. Neymar this year.
Of course, this week’s friendly against Colombia comes too early, as does next week’s against Belgium. In between, Hector Cuper’s final World Cup squad will be confirmed. No doubt Salah will be there.
But the clock is ticking and Egypt must, for the next two weeks at least, prepare for a first global finals since 1990 without their only global name. Arriving in Italy on Saturday for their final camp, they had hoped to concentrate on fine-tuning the team for Russia 2018, for Uruguay on June 15. Now, solutions must be found, all the while played out against the backdrop of the Salah uncertainly.
Though, as the player declared, he is a fighter. He will feed off the love and the support, do everything within his power to come back in time. Twelve hours after his tweet on Sunday, it had collected 50,000 replies, 147,000 retweets and half a million likes.
Ramos, despite the backlash and the online petition demanding he be banned, wished Salah well. World champion Toni Kroos also. Suarez, however much he truly meant it, hoped Salah would be back to face his Uruguay in Yekaterinburg.
“I want the best ones to be present,” Suarez said.
So too everyone else.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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FORSPOKEN
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Diablo%20IV
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The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
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Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars