(Video) “You are better than me.” Abu Trika responded to the Egyptian national team star | sports

Emam Ashour caught the attention again after leading the Egyptian national team to a historic achievement by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, but he devoted the post-match moments to a touching message to Mohamed Aboutrika, who did not delay in responding with great praise for the abilities of the Pharaohs star.

After the victory over Australia on penalties (4-2), Imam Ashour said in statements to the BeIN Sports network: “We thank the fans. We feel as if we are playing in Egypt. We have succeeded in making them happy, and we are waiting for their support in the upcoming matches.”

He added: “When I learned that Abu Trika spoke about me, I was very happy, and my life’s wish is to meet him. I asked the technical staff to speak after the match to send him a message, and to thank him for every word he said about me. People say that I resemble Abu Trika, but I only hope that I can be a quarter of what he was.”

Imam Ashour scored the Egyptian team’s lead goal in the 13th minute with a wonderful header, raising his tally to two goals in the 2026 World Cup, after previously scoring against Belgium in the group stage.

For his part, Muhammad Abu Trika responded to the message during the analytical studio, saying: “God willing, I will meet him, but he is better than Abu Trika. He played in a world championship, scored two goals in the World Cup, played in more than one position and was distinguished in all of them.”

The former Al-Ahly and Egypt national team star added: “There is only a small note, and I will tell him when I meet him. Sometimes he needs to play according to his teammates’ thoughts, because his way of thinking on the field is higher than everyone else’s.”

Abu Trika concluded his speech by praising Ashour’s capabilities, saying: “He has exceptional abilities, and is good at managing in tight spaces in a distinctive way. I wish him success and may God protect him from injuries, because he has the capabilities that any player would wish for.”

The Egyptian national team is preparing to face the winner of the match between Argentina and Cape Verde in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, after achieving the best achievement in its history by reaching this round.