Deep in Egypt’s Nile Delta region, the children of Nagrig village have a clear goal in life: they want to become football stars like Mohamed Salah, England’s top scorer and Africa’s top player.
The Premier League’s top scorer this season, Salah grabbed the Golden Boot, and has won the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year voted for by his fellow players.
Salah cemented his status as a national hero with his prominent role in qualifying and the team’s coach, Argentinian Hector Cuper, said the Pharaohs are banking on him in Russia.
“His talent clearly showed from the beginning,” said Ghamri Abdel-Hameed el-Saadani, who was the juniors coach at the Nagrig Youth Centre, where Salah started training at the age of eight.
Still, Salah’s success is not just due to his talent, “it’s also a product of a will of steel, effort, and determination”, said Saadani.