Mohamed Salah provided an assist against Brentford as Liverpool secured Champions League qualification in his final match for the club.

Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool secure Champions League qualification in his final appearance for the club, assisting Curtis Jones in a 1-1 draw with Brentford at Anfield on the final day of the Premier League season.

Liverpool needed to avoid a damaging final-day result to protect their place in the top five. The draw moved Arne Slot’s side to 60 points and confirmed their return to Europe’s top club competition.

Salah created Liverpool’s goal in the second half, finding Jones for the opener before Brentford equalised through Kevin Schade. The result ended Brentford’s push for European qualification.

The match also brought an end to Salah’s Liverpool career. The Egyptian forward received a standing ovation when he left the pitch, with Anfield marking his final game after a long spell as the club’s leading player.

The post Salah Assists as Liverpool Clinch Champions League Place appeared first on KingFut.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said Hamza Abdelkarim could enter preseason plans after the Egyptian forward impressed at youth level.

Hansi Flick has said Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim “could be an option” for Barcelona during preseason, giving the 18-year-old a possible route into the first-team picture after his recent performances at the club.

The Barcelona coach said the club are monitoring young players from La Masia. Flick said he wants to see new faces after being impressed by the quality in the academy since he arrived in 2024.

The forward has already made an impact at youth level. He scored a hat-trick for Barcelona’s U19 side, scoring three goals in 15 minutes.

Abdelkarim joined Barça Atlètic from Al Ahly on loan until June 30, 2026. Barcelona’s agreement with the Egyptian club includes an option to buy him at the end of the season, which the Catalonian club is looking likely to activate.

Since joining, Abdelkarim has played seven league matches for Barcelona U19 this season, as well as two cup matches, scoring five goals. The forward has also been included in Egypt’s provisional squad for the World Cup.

The post Hansi Flick Opens Barcelona First Team Door for Hamza Abdelkarim appeared first on KingFut.

Arne Slot addressed a social media statement that Mohamed Salah made before Liverpool’s final Premier League match against Brentford.

Arne Slot has responded to Mohamed Salah’s social media statement as the Liverpool forward prepares for his final appearance for the club against Brentford at Anfield.

Salah called on Liverpool to restore the “heavy metal” attacking identity associated with the club’s most successful recent years. He also said Champions League qualification remained “the bare minimum” before his departure.

Slot declined to confirm whether Salah would start against Brentford. Asked about the forward’s role, the Liverpool manager said “I never say anything about team selection, so it won’t surprise you I’m not going to do that now.”

The Dutchman also addressed the comments about Liverpool’s style. He said Salah “was really happy with the style last season” when Liverpool won the league, but added that both wanted the club to compete for titles again.

The Egyptian’s statement came near the end of a difficult season for Liverpool, triggering a media frenzy. Liverpool enter the final day in fifth place with 59 points from 37 matches. Bournemouth sit sixth on 56 points, six goals behind Liverpool on goal difference.

A draw against Brentford would secure Liverpool’s place in next season’s Champions League. A defeat would still leave them likely to qualify, but Bournemouth could overtake them with a win and a major swing in goal difference.

The post Arne Slot Responds as Salah Nears Liverpool Farewell appeared first on KingFut.

Egypt named a 27-man provisional squad before their Russia friendly and will cut one player before the 2026 World Cup.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has named a 27-man provisional squad for the 2026 World Cup, with one player to be cut after Egypt’s friendly against Russia on May 28.

The Egyptian technical staff will select the final 26-man squad after the Russia match, which forms part of Egypt’s final preparation programme before the World Cup starts on June 11.

Egypt’s provisional squad includes Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El Mahdy Soliman, and Mohamed Alaa as goalkeeping options.

The defensive group includes Mohamed Hany, Tarek Alaa, Hamdy Fathy, Ramy Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Ahmed Fatouh, and Karim Hafez.

Hassan also named Marwan Attia, Mohannad Lasheen, Nabil Emad Donga, Mahmoud Saber, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Emam Ashour, and Mostafa Abdel Raouf Ziko in midfield.

The attacking options include Mahmoud Trezeguet, Ibrahim Adel, Haissem Hassan, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Oktay Abdallah, and Barcelona youth forward Hamza Abdelkarim.

Egypt national team director Ibrahim Hassan said the camp will begin on May 21 at the National Teams Centre. He added that Egypt will announce the final list after the Russia friendly, in line with FIFA’s 26-player squad limit.

Egypt will face Russia at Egypt Stadium in the New Administrative Capital at 9 p.m. on May 28. The squad will then travel to the United States on May 30 before facing Brazil in a final friendly in Ohio on June 6.

The post Hossam Hassan Names Egypt Provisional World Cup Squad appeared first on KingFut.

Zamalek beat Ceramica Cleopatra 1-0 to win the Egyptian Premier League after a tense final-day race with Pyramids FC and Al Ahly.

Zamalek won the 2025-26 Egyptian Premier League title after beating Ceramica Cleopatra on the final day of the championship stage.

Palestinian striker Odai Dabbagh scored the decisive goal in the eighth minute. The result lifted Zamalek to 56 points, two ahead of Pyramids and three ahead of Al Ahly.

Pyramids beat Smouha 2-1 in their final match, while Al Ahly defeated Al Masry 2-0. Those results kept pressure on Zamalek until the dying minutes, but the White Knights held on to secure the title.

Zamalek had to survive a tense second half against Ceramica. Chiko Banza had a goal ruled out after a VAR review early in the second half, before Ceramica won a penalty. Mohamed Awad saved Ahmed Belhadj’s spot-kick two minutes later.

The Egyptian Premier League used a two-phase system this season. The top seven clubs advanced to the title-deciding group after the first phase, while the remaining teams entered a relegation group.

The post Zamalek Seal Egyptian Premier League Title on Final Day appeared first on KingFut.

Manchester City’s draw at Bournemouth ended their title challenge and confirmed Arsenal as Premier League champions.

Manchester City and Omar Marmoush missed out on the Premier League title after a draw at Bournemouth confirmed Arsenal as champions with one match left.

City needed a win to keep the race alive, but Junior Kroupi put Bournemouth ahead in the 39th minute. Erling Haaland scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but the equaliser came too late.

The result left Arsenal four points clear before the final round. Mikel Arteta’s side sealed the club’s first league title in 22 years after finishing runners-up in the previous three seasons.

Marmoush started on the bench at the Vitality Stadium and replaced Jeremy Doku in the 76th minute as Pep Guardiola pushed for a late winner. City also introduced Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, and Savinho before Haaland’s goal, but Bournemouth held on.

The Egyptian forward had played a role in City’s late title push. He scored in the 3-0 win over Brentford, then added another goal in the 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace four days later.

Manchester City will now finish second in the Premier League. They close their league campaign at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.

The post Manchester City Fall Short as Arsenal Take Premier League Title appeared first on KingFut.

Egypt have been drawn in Group B of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers alongside Angola, Malawi, and South Sudan.

Hossam Hassan’s side will compete for one of the group’s two qualification spots. CAF will split the 48 teams into 12 groups, with the top two sides in each group qualifying for the finals.

The draw took place at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters. The qualifying campaign will run across three international windows, with matchdays one and two scheduled from September 21 to October 6, 2026. Matchdays three and four will follow from November 9 to 17, before the group stage ends from March 22 to 30, 2027.

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will co-host the tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027. The three host nations will also take part in qualifying, but they have already secured places at the finals.

Egypt enter the qualifiers as the most successful team in AFCON history, with seven titles. Angola will provide the main challenge in the group. South Sudan reached the group stage through the preliminary round and continues their attempt to qualify for the tournament for the first time.

The post Egypt Draw Angola in AFCON 2027 Qualifiers appeared first on KingFut.

Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City after the final Premier League match, with Enzo Maresca lined up as his successor.

Pep Guardiola is set to leave Manchester City after their final Premier League match against Aston Villa, with Enzo Maresca lined up to replace him.

Enzo Maresca, who previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City, is expected to take the job on a three-year deal.

Guardiola joined City from Bayern Munich in 2016 and has overseen the most successful period in the club’s history. His record includes six Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, three FA Cups, and five League Cups.

The expected change comes while City remain in the Premier League title race. They won the FA Cup final against Chelsea, adding another trophy to Guardiola’s final days in charge.

Omar Marmoush will be among the City players affected by the managerial change. The forward recently scored in league wins over Brentford and Crystal Palace, helping City keep pressure on Arsenal before the final stretch of the season.

Marmoush has had a smaller role than several of City’s other attackers this season, but Guardiola recently backed him to contribute during the run-in after his stoppage-time goal against Brentford.

The post Guardiola to Leave Man City, Maresca Emerges as Replacement appeared first on KingFut.

Mohamed Salah made comments on the Reds’ dip in form, sparking reaction from Liverpool teammates, pundits, and supporters.

Mohamed Salah has sparked a major reaction around Liverpool after he criticised the team’s form. He called for the club to restore the high-intensity identity that defined its success under Jurgen Klopp.

The Egyptian forward posted the statement after the Reds lost to Aston Villa, a result that left Arne Slot’s side fifth in the Premier League. The loss leaves Champions League qualification hopes still unresolved before the final match against Brentford.

In his statement, Salah said Liverpool’s latest defeat was “very painful” and called for the team to return to being a “heavy metal attacking team” that opponents fear. He also said Liverpool’s identity “cannot be negotiable” and that every player who joins the club must adapt to it.

Salah also said Champions League qualification remains the “bare minimum” for Liverpool this season. The club host Brentford in their final league match, with Salah and Andy Robertson set to receive farewell tributes at Anfield. Liverpool confirmed that the Kop will display a mosaic for Salah before kick-off.

The post drew public backing from several Liverpool players. Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson, Hugo Ekitike, Curtis Jones, and Wataru Endo were among those who supported the Egyptian’s comments, while Ekitike and Jones also commented on it.

The reaction from former players and pundits was more divided. Wayne Rooney criticised Salah and urged Slot to leave him out of the Brentford match, calling the statement selfish and disrespectful toward the manager. While Rio Ferdinand said the statement was “raw,” and that he “love[d] it.”

Gary Neville also criticised the timing of the comments, while former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol described what Mohamed said as “complete and utter madness,” adding that Salah had shown a lack of class. As for Jamie Carragher, who is perhaps the forward’s most vocal critic, he falsely accused Salah of not apologizing to his Liverpool teammates following previous comments he made in December 2025.

Others viewed the statement as a sign of deeper problems at Liverpool. Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant backed the substance of the criticism, arguing that the club’s issues go beyond the squad and that Salah was only “stating the obvious.”

Slot had previously said Salah deserved “a big send-off” before the forward returned from injury. The latest controversy now leaves Liverpool balancing his farewell, the reaction to his public criticism, and the need to secure Champions League football in their final match.

The post Salah Statement on Liverpool Form Sparks Media Frenzy appeared first on KingFut.

Iran have named their preliminary World Cup squad as they prepare to face New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in Group G.

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has named a 30-man preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Mehdi Taremi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Saman Ghoddos, Ehsan Hajsafi, and Alireza Beiranvand included. Sardar Azmoun was left out of the initial list.

The squad includes four goalkeepers, nine defenders, 10 midfielders, and seven forwards. Taremi leads the attack, while Beiranvand, Hajsafi, Jahanbakhsh, and Ghoddos give Iran an experienced core.

Iran held a public send-off in Tehran before the tournament, where the team’s World Cup kit was unveiled. The squad will continue preparations at a training camp in Turkey before relocating to the United States.

FIFA held talks with Iranian football officials over operational concerns, including visas, security, and travel arrangements. Iran had previously raised 10 issues with FIFA.

Team Melli will play in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. They open their campaign against New Zealand, before facing Belgium and then Egypt.

The match against Egypt will close Iran’s group-stage campaign, and could prove decisive for both sides’ hopes of reaching the knockout rounds. The fixture is scheduled for June 26 in Seattle.

The post Iran Name World Cup Squad Ahead of Preparation Camp appeared first on KingFut.