Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov granted honorary citizenship on Friday to striker Mohamed Salah at a banquet held to say goodbye to Egypt’s World Cup squad. The players adopted the Russian region’s capital, Grozny, as their base for the tournament.
The Egyptian Football Association said the banquet was held at Kadyrov’s presidential palace in Grozny. It is the third time in two weeks the Chechen leader, a keen sports fan, has shown his admiration for 26-year-old Liverpool striker Salah.
The squad are due to leave Grozny on Saturday for Volgograd, where they will play Saudi Arabia in their last group match on Monday. Both teams have already been eliminated from the World Cup.