Former village boy who is taking the football world by storm has inspired his countrymen

Mohamed Salah’s beaming face adorns huge advertising billboards across Egyptian cities. Merchants seeking to tap into his soaring popularity are selling bed linen and lanterns, traditionally given to children during the holy month of Ramadan, emblazoned with his image.

In a popular café in downtown Cairo, a huge mural of Mr Salah has added a youthful look to a painted pantheon of past Egyptian greats, including Nobel laureates and Umm Kulthum, the renowned diva.

“He is a legend and he carries Egypt’s name,” said Hany Fathy, who works in the café with the Salah portrait. “The mural is very popular with youths coming here to get their picture taken with it. Even tourists from Arab countries come here to be photographed.”

The footballer’s appeal in Egypt is such that a television advert he starred in for a government anti-drugs campaign led to a quadrupling of calls to the hotline helping addicts, according to officials.

Against this backdrop, Mr Salah’s success has embodied a revived national pride, not just because of his prowess on the pitch, but also because of his happy, humble demeanour — and the fact that he got there by himself with no help from powerful connections.

But although he celebrated Mr Salah’s feats and qualities, Mr Osama, a graduate who has struggled to find regular work, said the footballer’s example means “anyone in any field has to leave the country in order to succeed”.

“Honestly, we are setting a lot of hope in him in Russia,” said Inas Mazhar, a sports writer on Al-Ahram Weekly. “The other players on the team know he is not selfish while playing which is why they appreciate him and respect him. They also owe him a lot.”