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Egypt national team midfielder, Mohanad Lasheen, opened up about his first continental experience with the Pharaohs in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Lasheen was called-up for Egypt’s AFCON squad after impressing with Tala’a El-Gaish and following his solid performance in the Arab Cup a month prior.
The 25-year-old remained on the bench for the majority of the tournament, before being brought on for the first time in the final minutes of the semi-final against Cameroon.
The game was sent to penalties after ending in a goalless draw and Lasheen was, surprisingly, among the first five shooters and managed to hit the back of the net with ease.
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Speaking to ONTime Sport TV, Lasheen explained how they coped with the pressure put on them by the fans, especially after losing the opener to Nigeria in horrendous fashion.
“We knew from the beginning that people didn’t believe we would achieve much in the AFCON. The coach knew very well what he wanted, so we had to trust in our abilities as players,” Lasheen said.
“Mohamed Salah spoke with the players after the loss against Nigeria and asked us not to think but anything except winning the upcoming matches.
“We were more shocked from the defeat than the fans because our goal from the start was to win. So we composed ourselves and focused on each upcoming match.
“We had agreed from the beginning to not pay attention to social media. The advice the technical staff and Mohamed Salah gave us was not to hear or think about what is happening outside the stadium.
“There are players who may not bear the criticism from fans who differentiate between Al Ahly and Zamalek. There are many people who understand football on social media and their criticism is constructive, but I’m talking about those who insult the players,” he added.
The former Ismaily man then spoke about the relationship between Salah and Carlos Queiroz.
“They have a strong relationship. Salah was the perfect middleman between the players and the coaching staff. He’s one of the the best players in the world, he’s competing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,” he continued.
Egypt played three penalty shootouts in the AFCON and Lasheen then explained how they tactically and mentally prepared for the game
“In order to face a big team, you must study them well, which is what we did, and then we applied what we studied on the field. The crowd’s support warmed our hearts,” he explained.
“We were playing to make the fans happy, and that’s what we were always told. If we make the fans happy, we have to play the next match to make them even happier. We play with a shirt that every opponent fears,” Lasheen continued.
Lasheen then opened up about the difficulty of their journey during the competition and dealing with poor refereeing in AFCON, especially against Cameroon.
“The recovery was difficult as we were the only team that has played in three different cities. It was difficult, but our goal as a team to stay united to endure these difficulties together for a period that we did not consider long.”
“We were on our nerves because of the referee [Bakary Gassama], because he was inconsistent in his decision making. Mohamed Salah told us not to talk to the referee, and that he will take over this task with Queiroz and Elneny, and the rest should focus on the game only.
“We all memorize well what we must do in Queiroz’s system. There is no player without a role and there is no player who does not know what he has to do. When I came on instead of Hamdi Fathi, I knew very well what to do.
“No player is afraid to shoot, as some people have said. A player can be physically or mentally incapable of shooting. After 120 minutes if a player feels he is going to miss, why should he shoot? Whoever plays 120 minutes without fear will not fear one shot,” he explained.
Despite producing overall solid displays in the tournament, Lasheen missed the penalty that preceded Sadio Mane’s winning strike. The former Pyramids man apologized to the fans and explained what went through his head after that moment.
“I apologize to the fans for missing the penalty kick and I want to explain to them that my grief is greater than theirs. I’m sad as a player and sad because I was not able to make the fans and my family happy,” he continued.
“We aren’t happy with finishing in second place. We will continue to build on our performances and spirit. When I came back, I did not accept the idea of continuing to live normally after losing such an important match.
“I didn’t feel like I was on the field after the match. I felt like I was in a nightmare. When I saw the cup in front of me, I wished I would sleep and wake up to play the match and that all of this was a nightmare. This moment is the most painful in my life. This was my dream, the dream of the fans and the dream of my daughter,” he concluded.
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