Omar Marmoush.. Egypt’s striking force | sports

While he sits on the bench in Manchester City, Omar Marmoush has a completely different position in the Egyptian national team, as he has become an indispensable player alongside Mohamed Salah, as they are expected to share the green rectangle again on Sunday against New Zealand in Canada, the country that tried to sign him at the beginning of his career.

The Cairo native left his club, Wadi Degla, and his home country at the age of eighteen to conquer Europe, on a journey he began in Germany. He initially joined Wolfsburg’s reserve team, before playing various loan spells in St. Pauli and Stuttgart, then he shined remarkably at Eintracht Frankfurt alongside French striker Ugo Equité.

When identity triumphed over the temptation of nationality

During his career, Marmoush caught the attention of the Canadian Football Association, which was then keen to include the rising talent, as he holds Canadian citizenship through his parents, who in turn obtained it after six years of working in Canada.

Marmoush narrated the details of what happened to him on Her Excellency’s program, saying, “My family worked in Canada for a period of 6 years, and after 4 years I obtained Canadian citizenship, and I only went there once or twice in my life. 4 years after my arrival in Germany, the Canadian national team called me because they realized that I held citizenship and they wanted me to be with them.”

He added, “The coach called me personally, but when I received the call, my decision had already been made: I will play with the Egyptian national team, and Egypt is in a very high place for me. My goal and all my thinking was to one day play with the Egyptian national team.”

He continued, “When the Canadian team called me, it was clear to me that I wanted the Egyptian team, and indeed, shortly after, the Egyptian team called me and I played with them.”

Zidane and Ronaldinho

In Vancouver against the New Zealand team nicknamed the “All Whites”, the Egyptian striker is expected to play his 52nd international match with the “Pharaohs”, and he is one of the most famous faces alongside his two attacking partners, Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Hassan, known as “Trezeguet”.

Although he did not score in the team’s opening match at the World Cup during the 1-1 draw against Belgium, he posed a constant threat to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois thanks to his quick runs and powerful shots, which are two of his strengths, along with free kicks, among other things.

After the opening match of Group G, French coach Rudi Garcia praised Egypt’s performance, saying, “It is a team that defends and launches counter-attacks, and includes two wonderful players, Salah and Marmoush, both of whom have great speed.”

At the age of 27, Marmoush is competing in the World Cup finals for the first time, a tournament he has dreamed of since his childhood.

Marmoush recalled in a recent interview with the Middle Eastern edition of “GQ” magazine, saying, “I remember Zinedine Zidane’s Panenka against Italy in the 2006 final, and he was sent off, and the Brazilian Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho as well. He was my favorite player. I loved seeing him so happy, playing with a smile.”

Elite reserve player

Against New Zealand, the player wearing the number 22 shirt will have the opportunity to achieve a feat that no Egyptian has ever achieved, alongside his teammates, which is to win a match in the World Cup.

There was an orphan match in the 1934 edition, against Hungary, which was lost by the Egyptian team, the first African team to participate in the World Cup finals, then a disappointing participation in the group stage in 1990 (two draws and one defeat), and finally the three defeats in the 2018 edition in Russia.

In the World Cup, Marmoush carries on his shoulders a large part of the hopes of the most populous country in the Arab world, with a population of 108 million people.

This national pressure belies his situation at Manchester City, where the versatile striker, able to play as a striker, second striker or on the left wing, is anything but an elite substitute in a team full of stars.

The door to reaching the starting lineup was closed in his face with the presence of the giant striker Erling Haaland, the Frenchman Rayan Cherki, the Belgian Jeremy Doku, or Antoine Semenyu, but the player is clinging to his place.

He added, “It is difficult, but at the same time it makes you better, because you know that when you are on the field, you have to do your best. You have to perform well, because the person behind you is there, ready to take your place.”

Last season, he succeeded in scoring 8 goals and passing 3 decisive balls in 36 matches for the English club.