Lamine Yamal backs Hamza Abdelkarim to become an Egypt great

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has praised Egypt striker Hamza Abdelkarim, saying the young forward has the ability to become one of the legends of Egyptian football.

Speaking to On Sport, Yamal said Abdelkarim had already shown his goalscoring potential and would make the most of his opportunities.

“We have all seen him. He scores a lot of goals and has a great ability to adapt,” said Yamal. “We try to give him as much comfort as possible. He is a wonderful striker, and he will make the most of the time he gets and score many goals.”

Yamal also described Mohamed Salah, the Trabzonspor player, as “a great player who has given a lot”, while highlighting Abdelkarim’s potential.

“Abdelkarim has the skills and he can become one of the legends of Egyptian football,” he added.

The Spain international also reflected on Barcelona’s season, saying the team had changed in several ways compared with previous campaigns while retaining its focus on winning.

“I think many things have changed from the previous seasons, but the constant is that we play with a winning mentality,” he said. “We are a big, united team and we enjoy the football we play.”

Yamal, who said his main responsibility was to help Barcelona win while entertaining their supporters, added: “I always try to make a difference and give my best to serve the team.”

He said the squad’s players each offered different qualities and that those individual strengths helped distinguish them from one another.

“Every player has different advantages from the others. Each player has something special, and we are different from each other,” he said.

Despite his growing profile, Yamal insisted he remained at the beginning of his career and was determined to continue improving.

“I still have the majority of my career ahead of me and I always want to achieve victories and trophies,” he said. “I will never get tired of winning trophies and I will always continue to develop.”

Yamal also discussed Barcelona’s Champions League ambitions and his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, saying success depended on both luck and experience.

“Luck and experience are important. You can give your best and still not win the Champions League,” he said. “We are aiming to win the competition this season and, hopefully, luck will be on our side this time.”

He added that players pursued both collective and individual success, including the Ballon d’Or, and said African footballers could take pride in seeing more players from the continent recognised.

“We all play to achieve victories, whether collectively or individually, such as winning the Ballon d’Or,” said Yamal. “I think it is a source of pride for all of us players who come from African countries. We feel proud when we see African players on the podium, and I hope there will be more and more. But it is more about football than nationality.”

On Egypt’s participation in the World Cup, Yamal said: “The Egypt and Argentina match was very strong. We saw many outstanding Egyptian players, and with time the national team can achieve a lot in the World Cup ahead, as can the African teams who always show a high level at the World Cup.”

Yamal has scored eight goals and provided six assists in eight appearances for Barcelona this season. Barcelona lead La Liga with 21 points after seven wins.