Eight years on from Egypt’s last appearance at the World Cup, the Pharaohs are back competing at the quadrennial extravaganza far removed from the negativity that surrounded their campaign at Russia 2018.
Back then, the North Africans arrived at the World Cup with Mohamed Salah nursing a shoulder injury he sustained in the Champions League final, just 20 days prior to Egypt’s first game in Russia.
The injury cast a dark cloud on the Egyptians, who were present at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years and were hoping to rely on their star winger to lead them against the hosts, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia in their group.
Salah missed Egypt’s opening game and was not 100 percent when he played in the other two.
Logistical problems (the Pharaohs traveled over 8,500km to play all three games, the most of any team), drama surrounding Salah’s image rights, lack of security at the players’ hotel, and a controversial meet and greet with Chechnyan leadership, all marred Egypt’s long-awaited return to the World Cup and they left Russia with three losses from three games.
