Mohamed Salah and his Egypt teammates were reportedly prevented from entering a World Cup host city just hours after celebrating a historic first-ever World Cup victory for the nation.
Egypt defeated New Zealand 3–1 in Vancouver on June 22, with goals from Mostafa Ziko, Salah, and Mahmoud Trezeguet overturning an early strike from Finn Surman.
The result marked Egypt’s maiden World Cup win, sending the North African side to the top of Group G after previously drawing 1–1 with Belgium earlier in the tournament. Shortly after the match, videos surfaced showing Salah and his teammates celebrating with Egyptian supporters in the streets of the Canadian city, but their post-match plans soon ran into complications.
The squad had intended to fly directly from Vancouver to Seattle, but local security authorities denied the request. As a result, the team was forced to abandon the plan and return to their training base in Spokane, Washington.
The Egyptian Football Association confirmed the situation in an official statement from head coach Hossam Hassan, explaining that the team had hoped to avoid unnecessary travel ahead of their upcoming match against Iran on June 26, which is scheduled to be played in Seattle.
Instead, they will now return to Spokane and are expected to travel to Seattle later, likely taking a short internal flight ahead of the fixture.
Egypt’s next opponent, Iran, have also faced logistical challenges during the tournament. The team, coached by Ardeshir Ghalenoei, have had to operate under difficult travel arrangements, including training outside their match bases despite all group-stage games being held in the United States.
After a goalless draw with Belgium on June 21, Iran returned immediately to their training camp. Ghalenoei later criticized the schedule, saying the team had very limited preparation time and insufficient training sessions before matches, adding frustration over inconsistent travel arrangements.
He also questioned why improved planning was only introduced later in the tournament, arguing that earlier fixtures should have been treated the same way.
Egypt currently top Group G with four points, followed by Iran and Belgium on two points each, while New Zealand sit bottom with one point. A draw in their next match could be enough for Egypt to advance to the Round of 32, while a win would guarantee qualification.
Leave a Reply