Ex-Egypt coach questions Mo Salah’s effort in bizarre criticism of the Liverpool star

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Former Egypt manager Hassan Shehata has claimed that Mo Salah ‘has to put in more effort’ for the national side.

The 30-year-old is the main man for the Pharaohs but is yet to lift a trophy at International level, losing to Sadio Mane’s Senegal in the AFCON final earlier this year.

Egypt also missed out on a place in the Qatar World Cup later this year after losing to Senegal once again in the play-offs – Salah’s nation have now entered a 12th year without a trophy.

“Salah is a world-renowned football star because of all of his individual achievements,” he told Sada El-Balad (via Liverpool Echo).

“From a technical point of view, Salah did not achieve anything with the national team so far. He is a worldwide star; he should have an impact whenever he plays with the national team.

“He also has to put in more effort, as the national team was playing with a strategy that always puts pressure on him on the field.”

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The Reds’ No. 11 played a pivotal role in ensuring that Egypt qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after he scored a stoppage-time penalty against Congo in October 2017, but the former AS Roma man didn’t have the tournament he and his supporters were hoping for.

He injured his shoulder in a altercation with Sergio Ramos during Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in May 2018 meaning that despite him netting twice in the World Cup, Egypt exited the tournament after failing to progress through the group stages.

“Salah wasn’t in the best shape in many games with the national team,” Shehata added.

“He [Salah] cannot choose the players for the national team, but he has to talk with the officials about that.”

The comments from the former Egypt boss, who won three consecutive AFCON titles during his time in charge, are rather surprising when you consider the fact that Salah is the captain of the national side and has been one of the world’s best players in recent years.

He hasn’t quite managed to replicate his club-form whilst playing for Egypt but then again, he hasn’t got as much quality around him when he’s representing his country.

Salah has a respectable record for the Pharaohs, netting 45 times in 83 caps.

Meanwhile, for Jurgen Klopp’s side, the Egyptian King has netted 156 times in 246 appearances for the Reds (across all competitions).

Hopefully his impressive form at club level can continue when the new campaign begins in August to ensure next season is even better than the last.

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