Sports critic Khaled Talaat revealed the behind-the-scenes details of his correspondence with FIFA, which resulted in two goals being deducted from the international record of Egyptian national team star Mohamed Salah, leaving Hossam Hassan at the top of the all-time scorers for the Pharaohs.
The Egyptian sports critic sparked controversy following the Egyptian national team's match against Malawi in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, in which Salah shone and scored two goals that led the Pharaohs to a resounding 5-0 victory.
Following the match, the Egyptian star celebrated on his official accounts by holding up a piece of paper bearing the number 70, announcing his sole lead as the all-time top scorer for the national team, surpassing Hossam Hassan's record of 69 goals.
However, FIFA's official records quickly shocked fans by fixing Salah's tally at 68 goals, which temporarily kept Hossam Hassan in the lead.
In his first comment, Khaled Talaat explained the reasons for his official move and the background of his address to the International Federation, saying in televised statements: "I am not against Mohamed Salah at all, as both (Salah and Hossam Hassan) are great stars and Egyptians, and my goal is to give everyone their due and to do justice to the owner of the real number."
Regarding the details of the exclusion of the two goals, the sports critic explained that the story dates back to a match that brought together the Egyptian national team with its Swaziland counterpart in 2013, which ended with a resounding victory for the Pharaohs with ten goals, during which Salah scored two goals.
He pointed out that FIFA regulations for recognizing matches internationally stipulate that the number of substitutions should not exceed 6 changes for each team at that time, but the former coach of the Egyptian national team, Bob Bradley, made 11 substitutions, which deprived the match of its official international status, and therefore the two goals were dropped from the official approved record.
Talaat added: "I contacted FIFA via email to deduct the two goals from Salah and correct the historical situation and give Hossam Hassan his due, especially since the latter is going through difficult moral circumstances (after his dismissal from coaching the Egyptian national team and his suffering from family problems), and is under pressure that requires standing by his side."
He continued, stressing: “I was the only voice in the world who confirmed that Salah had 68 goals, while major international reports went so far as to count 70 goals, and official records later proved the correctness of my position. Our goal is to correct mistakes away from personal whims, as Hossam Hassan is statistically wronged and has not received enough support in this matter.”
Talaat concluded his remarks by emphasizing that breaking the record and surpassing Hossam Hassan's lead is only a matter of time, given the remaining years of performance ahead of star Mohamed Salah on the field, saying: "Mohamed Salah is a source of pride for every Egyptian and Arab, and sooner or later he will hold the record alone and we will all celebrate that great achievement, but history must be written accurately and honestly."
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