Former Egypt national team coach, Hassan Shehata, has disclosed that Mohamed Aboutrika, the former star of Al Ahly, declined to join the Egyptian national team in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations due to injury concerns.
In televised statements on the Egyptian channel “MBC Masr,” Hassan Shehata stated: “Mohamed Aboutrika was suffering from an injury before the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, and he would not have been able to participate in the tournament.”
He added: “I asked Aboutrika to join the Egyptian national team for the tournament and told him, ‘You won’t play, but I want you to always be with the players, motivate them, and read the Quran with them,’ but he refused.”
Furthermore, Shehata continued: “Aboutrika refused to join the national team for the 2010 tournament and told me, ‘I won’t come, and I won’t play, taking the place of a player who could play.'”
