It seems that the recent media appearance of Egypt's goalkeeper, Mohamed Abu Jabal, the first "Pharaohs" star in the African Nations Cup, which concluded last Sunday in Cameroon, has begun to provoke controversy and criticism.
The criticism came from former Egypt goalkeeper Ahmed Schubert - who is currently working as a sports programmer - and focused on an issue related to Gambian referee Bakari Gassama, who refereed the Egypt-Cameroon match in the African World Cup semi-finals.
Abu Jabal said - in televised statements the day before yesterday - that "the referee, Gassama, said that you will (you will defeat) the players of the Egyptian national team when he inspected the dressing room before the start of the match between Egypt and Cameroon."
He continued, "After the Cameroon team missed 3 penalty kicks and we won salvation. Gassama stopped the celebrations, and he wanted to check the video technology, and he was strange as he spoke in a way as if he was ordering you, and he did not want to end the match."
Ahmed Schubert commented on Muhammad Abu Jabal's statements, saying, "Forgive me, you made another move and reached the stage of stardom and became the goalkeeper of the Egyptian national team, and it is not correct for you to say this."
He explained, "What Abu Jabal did in the tournament is on my head from above, but we are clear (we must pay attention) while we are talking. The referee cannot say that (the referee does not say this)."
He added, "The referee's words to the players of the Egyptian national team in the Cameroon match (you will overcome, you will overcome), it is not what happens (it will never happen), we (we) were not defeated and won."
He continued, "The referee may say if you speak (I spoke) I will send you off, and this happens in many matches because the referee is provocative."
He added, "In the last penalty kick, the video referee asked Bakary Gassama to wait to see if the goalkeeper moved from the goal line or not, and this happens a lot, and it happened before with Mohamed El-Shennawy in front of Palmeiras in the last edition of the Club World Cup. The issue of Bakary Gassama is exaggerated. Oh (it's an exaggeration)."
Schubert also criticized the frequent talk about the water bottle that Abu Jabal used to know the preferred angle for the players executing the penalty kicks and the method of paying them. No, it's an exaggeration.
In the end - Schubert concludes - that the Egyptian team lost on penalties, and Senegalese goalkeeper Edward Mendy saved a penalty kick without having a bottle or something else.
It is noteworthy that the Senegalese team crowned its first title in the main continental championship, after it defeated its Egyptian counterpart in the final match, 4-2 on penalties, after the end of the original and extra time without goals.