Egypt icon Ahmed Hossam Mido believes Mohamed Salah doesn’t deserve the Pharaohs’ armband, saying the Liverpool star is not the same as Messi and Ronaldo.
Mohamed Salah came under fire recently after departing the Egypt camp in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to do his rehab at Liverpool instead.
Several Egyptian icons, including new national team boss Hossam Hassan, were critical of Salah as they believed he should have remained in Ivory Coast to support his teammates as the team’s captain.
Former Spurs and Egypt striker believes the whole issue took place in the first place as Mohamed Salah doesn’t deserve the captaincy, while comparing the role of the Liverpool star to that of Ronaldo and Messi.
Mido claims that while Salah is an Egyptian icon and evolved mentally, he was never a real leader on the pitch, which is why he didn’t get the Liverpool armband.
Speaking on The Untold podcast, Mido said: “Is Messi as a leader for Argentina like Salah as a leader for Egypt?
“Salah is Egypt’s star, but does what he does with the national team resemble what Messi does with Argentina?
“Does Salah do what Ronaldo does with Portugal? Directing players in penalty kicks, saying who will take the shot and who will follow, and imposing his personality on everyone.
“Salah has evolved mentally, but he has never been a leader on the pitch, the evidence for that is why he didn’t get the captain’s armband at Liverpool?”
“Ask yourself why Salah has never worn the captain’s armband for Liverpool? Don’t say it’s because he’s a foreign player, as this is not a factor in English football, and there is ample evidence.
“Salah was negatively affected by becoming the captain of Egypt. He would have had more freedom and less pressure if he remained without that armband.
“Some may accuse me of jealousy towards Salah, but those are a group of sick people. I cannot imagine Ahmed Fathi, with his value and great history, giving up the captain’s armband for Salah. It’s like Hossam Hassan relinquishing his role as captain for Ahmed Hassan. It’s hard to believe.
“These are red lines and a change in traditions followed for years, and comparisons shouldn’t be made with the cases of Messi and Ronaldo because the situation is completely different. The duo have completely different personalities and mentalities from Salah.
“If Salah were the captain of Liverpool, he wouldn’t have delivered the same strong performance. He is one of those players who find it difficult to bear the burden of captaincy.
“Salah cannot wear the captain’s armband with Mohamed El-Shenawy and Ahmed Hegazi on the pitch. Hegazi, specifically, is the captain of Ittihad Jeddah, one of the oldest clubs in Saudi Arabia.”
