Hoping for Mo
would miss the World Cup altogether, but his appearance in Cairo has reignited expectations in The Pharaohs’ key striker.
“He will participate, God willing, he must,” said Seif Ibrahim, a 24-year-old salesman wearing Salah’s Egypt jersey.
Fans screamed in delight when Salah’s name was read out over the loudspeaker, while those able to get to the pitch took selfies with their hero.
He gave fans a sliver of hope when he managed to briefly dribble the ball on the corner of the pitch, before returning to the sidelines.
“I was so sad, but now I’m happy to see him in real life, and he seems to be doing fine even if he isn’t actually training with the others,” said Nahed Mostafa, 38, who attended the session with her young children.
The Pharaohs, record seventime African champions, have qualified for the World Cup for only the third time.
They begin their Russian campaign on June 15 against twice former winners Uruguay.
The Egyptian football federation said after Salah’s injury that he could be out for three weeks, meaning he would miss their opening Group A match but could then be available against Russia on June 19 and Saudi Arabia on June 25.
Supporters at the Cairo ground, waving the national flag, also yelled enthusiastic approval for the team’s other star players – goalkeeper Essam El Hadary and midfielder Abdallah El Said.
Police in riot gear patrolled the stadium, which was filled to around a quarter of its capacity – a rare sight at Egypt’s highlyrestricted football grounds.
Authorities imposed a ban on fans attending local matches after a 2012 stadium riot in Port Said left 74 people dead. The restriction was partially relaxed earlier this year.
“This is an exceptional event because a whole generation has been excluded from stadiums,” said Mostafa Abdallah, a 64-yearold schoolteacher, who wore a checkered shirt and a delighted grin. I came for this historic moment, and to admire my country’s team.” – AFP