Shock accusations have now been levelled at the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) following the Mohamed Salah saga during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah played one full game at the tournament before getting injured during the Pharaohs' second group-stage match against Ghana.
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While his injury was a huge blow for the team, perhaps no one could have anticipated the drama that would ensue as a result.
After that particular match, the EFA released a statement regarding the extent of the injury, indicating that the 31-year-old could recover on time if Egypt reached the final.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp later publicly stated that the forward would return to England mid-tournament to receive medical treatment, with his national team's doctor confirming the same.
This caused a huge stir as many fans, media, and pundits alike questioned why the Pharaohs did not have the adequate resources and doctors to treat the player in the Ivory Coast, while the forward's commitment to his nation was also cast in doubt.
Shocking allegations against the EFA have since emerged, with a journalist claiming that the backlash was partly orchestrated by the organisation in an attempt to damage the star's reputation.
According to Sada El-Balad, journalist Hany Hathout claims: "Salah, who just returned to Liverpool training, discovered that some officials campaigned against him through social media.
"He found out after a message was sent to an EFA official from an admin of an unnamed page seeking approval for a post criticising Salah.
"This heavily contributed to the constant attacks on Salah and led to him insisting on leaving Egypt's AFCON camp and heading back to Liverpool."
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