Egyptian military law threatens Mohamed Salah's future with Chelsea

If Salah goes to Egypt, he can’t leave without a green-light from the government

Chelsea’s Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah could see his football dreams blow up in smoke as a decision from the Egyptian government has threatened to throw his future with English club Chelsea into jeopardy.

According to reports in his home country, the Minister of Higher Education Prof. El-Sayed Ahmad Abd El Khalek has expelled Salah from an Egyptian institution in which the winger had enrolled enabling him to travel abroad and exempting him from compulsory military service. This means that if the winger were to return to his homeland, he could be barred from travelling outside the country thus jeopardising his football future.

Egyptian law states that males between ages of 18 and 30 need to serve in either the police force, prison service or military for a 12-36 months active service period, with a 9 year reserve component. Any student under 25 may register for a special student exemption, but they cannot travel abroad without a Ministry of Defense permit.

The cancellation of his registration with the university no longer makes him a student.

Egyptian footballing National Team director Ahmed Hassan revealed that the winger nicknamed ‘Egyptian Messi’ was shocked at the decision.

“Salah has expressed his shock about the decision. He told me that he is trying to represent Egypt in the best way possible. Is this the best response from the country?”, he said.

Egypt team manager Shawky Gharib has asked the Egyptian Minister of Youth to find a viable solution to the problem especially in the wake of the African Cup of Nations qualifying in September.

A meeting between Gharib and the Minister is due soon.

Egypt begin their 2015 CAN qualifying campaign in September and are in a group consisting Tunisia and Senegal.

Salah, 22, had to moved to Chelsea from Swiss club FC Basel for £11million in January this year.

Salah could find himself forced to return to Egypt to serve military duty due to a decision made by the Minister of Higher Education.

— The Football Café (@thefootballcafe) July 18, 2014