Egypt star Mohamed Salah is reportedly considering quitting international football as he feels he has been used by his country for political gain, according to reports.
According to John Sinnott and Alireza Hajihosseini of CNN, Salah feels “exposed” after being photographed with Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, where the Egyptian team trained during the World Cup. Kadyrov has been criticized for his repressive leadership and comments against same-sex relationships. However, he and Salah were photographed together, with Kadyrov saying he had made Salah an honorary citizen of Chechnya.
“Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic! That’s right!” Kadyrov said on social media. “I gave Mohamed Salah a copy of the order and a pin at a celebratory dinner that I gave in honour of the Egyptian team.”
Jack Austin of the Independent adds that Salah feels he has been “used” for political purposes, and is considering quitting Egypt as a result. It’s not the first problem he has had with his country’s federation, as he publicly battled with Egypt prior to the World Cup over the use of his image.
Salah was expected to be one of the stars of the World Cup. He has battled through injury, though, and his team has already been eliminated after two games. Now it might be the last time we see him at an international tournament.
