Mohamed Salah's tussle with new Pharaohs manager overshadows Egyptian football

All is not well in Egyptian football. Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and new manager Hossam Hassan are locked in an intensely publicised trial of wills.

The saga dates back to the Africa Cup of Nations in January but is currently dominating the national conversation, with their tussle being played out on popular sports talk shows and social media platforms.

The rift has meant that Salah stayed put in Liverpool during last week’s international break, missing the Pharaohs’ friendlies at home against New Zealand and Croatia.

The rift with the manager, former international and the Pharaohs’ all-time top scorer Hassan, began when the 31-year-old Salah decided to leave Afcon in the Ivory Coast and return to England to undergo treatment for a hamstring injury he picked during a group match.

His departure kicked off a storm in Egypt, with critics contending that Salah, as captain, should have stayed with the team in the Ivory Coast while receiving treatment. It was understood at the time that Salah would re-join the squad once fully recovered.

Speaking in a television interview soon after Salah’s return to England – and before his appointment as national team manager – Hassan said Salah should not be allowed to play if he returned. Hassan explained it would be unfair on other members of the squad.

“Stay there in Liverpool until you have fully recovered, and God be with you,” he said dismissively.

“Back here, we have men to do the job.”

The Pharaohs, record seven-time African champions, did not advance beyond the round of 16, with the Democratic Republic of Congo showing them the exit door. But the controversy around Salah's departure never went away.

Manager Rui Vitoria of Portugal was soon sacked and Hassan, a veteran of club