When Liverpool decided to play in Qatar for the Club World Cup, there were objections. The working conditions to build the stadiums—essentially modern day slave labor—plus the way the nation acquired the 2020 World Cup (*cough* bribery *cough*), understandably put a lot of people off the tournament.
If there is a silver lining (aside from the BIG SILVER lining), it’s the reception the club has received, and especially the reception of the club’s Arab representative, Mohamed Salah.
In an interview Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain said he was enjoying the “Mo Mania.”
“It’s nice to see every time they call his name,” Ox told Liverpool’s official website. “I have a little cheeky look over and see what he’s doing. He’s trying to keep a little smile in, but I can see inside it makes him really happy and proud.
“He deserves it, he’s come from Egypt and worked his way up to the top. He’s a humble guy, a very good teammate and such a top professional.
“The numbers that he’s doing on the pitch week in, week out for years now is incredible. He deserves everything he’s getting at the minute.
“I hope he can put on a good show for them and the Mo mania can continue because that’ll be a good thing for all of us.”
I think it’s fair to say that if Mo gives the fans a memorable performance tonight, the Mo Maniacs will be cheering with the rest of us when Jordan Henderson lifts another trophy to add to the cabinet.