El Neny recalls Congo game feelings

CAIRO – 16 November 2017 : Arsenal Egyptian midfielder Mohamed El Neny explained to Arsenal’s channel on YouTube his feelings when he heard the final whistle of the Congo game and knew that Egypt qualified to the World Cup.

“I felt something I have never experienced before. It was a pure happiness. After all the hard work we made, the dream has come true,” El Neny told Arsenal’s YouTube channel.

Mohamed Salah scored a late penalty to lead Egypt to defeat Congo 2-1 to secure their qualification to the World Cup after 28 years of absence.

El Neny revealed how he spent the night before the game, saying, “I was dreaming all night; I was dreaming about the referee’s whistle and being in the World Cup. It was a dream to all Egyptians.”

Mohamed El Neny played the whole game against Congo and provided an assist for Salah’s first goal in the game.

El Neny also spoke about football’s impact on Egyptians, saying, “Football affects so many people in Egypt. It affects our economy and overall mood; affects every household, rich or poor.”

El Neny, born in Mahala, had a long journey with football inside Egypt before finding his way to Arsenal.

El Neny played for the Al-Ahly academy before moving to the Arab Contractors academy before becoming a regular player on the national team. He moved to Europe to play for Switzerland’s Basel in 2013, where he played for three years before joining Arsenal in 2016.