Mohamed Salah: From Nagrig to Global Icon
INLIBER Sport travels to Egypt’s Nagrig village to trace Mohamed Salah’s journey from humble beginnings to Liverpool legend and national icon.
At the youth centre in Nagrig, Egypt, one of Mohamed Salah’s first coaches, Ghamry Abd El-Hamid El-Saadany, recalls: “Whenever I walk in, I remember how he moved and controlled the ball.” This dark green pitch, named in Salah’s honor, is where the Liverpool winger first made his mark.
Humble Roots in Nagrig
The small Nile Delta village of Nagrig, surrounded by fields of jasmine and watermelon, nurtured a young Salah who outshone older peers with powerful shots and relentless drive, says his first coach, El-Saadany.
Salah’s family, who still live locally, made sacrifices to support his talent, according to El-Saadany, whose photograph of Salah with the Champions League trophy hangs behind the goal.
Across Nagrig, murals, tuk-tuks and barber shops bear his image and name. Barber Ahmed El Masri recalls giving Salah his signature curls and beard, despite criticism that the village style was inferior.
Formative Journeys to Cairo
At 14, Salah joined Arab Contractors in Cairo, enduring four bus trips daily that began before dawn and ended near midnight. “Only someone with a clear goal could bear such a burden,” says El-Saadany.
These microbuses handle 80% of Cairo’s commuters, often packed tightly. Former national team coach Hany Ramzy, who gave Salah his senior debut in 2011, believes those early trials built his resilience.
Rising Star and National Hero
Since joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has scored 245 goals in 402 appearances, winning the Champions League and two Premier League titles. Yet international silverware has eluded him, despite his crucial role in Egypt’s qualification for the 2018 World Cup.
Former assistant coach Mahmoud Fayez recalls Salah’s dramatic 95th-minute penalty that sealed Egypt’s spot at Russia 2018: “A nation of nearly 120 million waited for this moment.”
Giving Back to Nagrig
Through his charity foundation, Salah has funded food support, an ambulance unit, a post office, a religious institute and more, benefiting orphans, widows and the poor. “People love him because of his modesty and kindness,” says Hassan Bakr of the Mohamed Salah Charity Foundation.
From dusty pitches in Nagrig to Premier League glory, Mohamed Salah’s journey embodies determination, family sacrifice and national pride, inspiring millions in Egypt and beyond.
This topic was reported by BBC Sport.
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