Written by: Wael Tawfik:
Cairo, December 25, 2010, Military College Stadium
A pass from an El Mokawloon midfielder slipped behind Al-Ahly's defenders; the young player received it, drove toward the goal, and fired it in to score the opening goal for the Mountain Wolves. The match commentator exclaimed: "The goal went against the flow of the game; Al-Ahly dominated possession, but El Mokawloon scored through their young player."
The El Mokawloon players were overjoyed, celebrating enthusiastically with Salah.
French manager Ivica Todorov recalls: "Salah ran toward me, threw himself into my arms, and cried. At that moment, I felt goosebumps."
That was not the only unforgettable moment for the French coach; no one could have imagined what lay ahead for the young player.
From Nagrig to El Mokawloon
Mohamed Salah played street football in Nagrig, Gharbia, before joining Bassioun Club for two or three years. In a television interview on Modern Sport channel, he recounted: "I started playing at age 12, then I played for Tanta Mokawloon, and finally moved to El Mokawloon Arab."
Traveling from Nagrig to Cairo, his father would take him at 10 a.m. and return at the same time in the evening, more than four times a week. Salah said: "Sometimes I would leave at dawn if I had matches and return at 8 p.m."
On November 8, 2010, El Mokawloon appointed the Frenchman Ivica Todorov as head coach following the dismissal of Hamza El-Gamal. The team was second from bottom in the Egyptian Premier League standings with 8 points from 10 matches.
Regarding the Mountain Wolves' youth team, who were losing 1–0, the Frenchman watched the match and told Masrawy: "In the 16th minute, a young player came on, scored a goal and assisted another, winning the match within sixteen minutes. In the next game, I started him against Al-Ahly; he scored, and the match ended 1–1. That result was very important for us."
The French coach promoted other players alongside Salah: Mohamed Desouki and Mohamed Elneny. Todorov says: "I took them with him, and we didn't lose a single match afterward."
The First Step Toward Professionalism
In 2012, Zamalek refused to sign Salah. In his interview with Modern Sport, he recounted: "Zamalek told me it was still too early for me to play for them. God was kinder; Basel from Switzerland came along, and I went there, praise be to God. I hope never to return from professionalism to join a bigger club."
From Zrenjanin to France
Todorov recalls: "I began my career at the Yugoslav club Proleter Zrenjanin, known for developing players. At seventeen, I became one of the youngest professional players, and a year later I moved to Novi Sad, where I played as a starter for three years."
The Frenchman recounts: "Between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, I was considered one of the biggest talents in Yugoslavia. My ego inflated—that was my mistake; I wasn't patient enough to prove my talent."
Proleter Zrenjanin was founded on June 27, 1947, through the merger of three local clubs. At the time, it was part of the Yugoslav football system within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The club reached the Yugoslav First League for the first time in 1967, before becoming a stepping stone for Todorov at the start of his professional career.
During that period, football was the most popular sport in Yugoslavia, while the game itself was undergoing transformation as professionalism expanded. By the early 1970s, first- and second-division clubs became increasingly tied to financing and commercial considerations, while the movement of Yugoslav players to Western Europe grew significantly.
This player migration coincided with economic and social changes Yugoslavia experienced since the mid-1960s reforms. Labor migration to Western Europe expanded, and around 300 Yugoslav footballers were playing abroad—a phenomenon that made moving westward an integral part of Yugoslav football's trajectory.
Todorov recounts: "We loved our country; we were proud to be Yugoslavs. In football, they called us the 'Brazils of Europe.' Matches and training sessions were like wars for us—but fought with smiles."
Todorov was called up by Miljan Miljanić to Red Star Belgrade. He told Masrawy: "It was difficult to secure a starting spot because the team was going through an excellent period."
Todorov's career path might have changed after a match between Novi Sad and the Yugoslav national team, during which he delivered a standout performance and was named man of the match. He recounts: "Boškov, Vojvodina's manager, contacted me to sign me, but Proleter refused. I was called up for mandatory military service for a year. At twenty-five, I went to France to begin a new chapter, aided by a former Proleter player who helped me join Limoges."
He recalls: "When a Yugoslav arrived in France, he sought ways to bring a friend along. We were extremely supportive of one another."
He adds: "Later, another player helped me find a club in Brittany, and there, at age 28, I became both a player and a coach."
When Todorov arrived in France in the late 1970s, French society was undergoing economic and social transformations: increasing presence of immigrants and foreign workers. Meanwhile, football was reorganizing its professional structure. Following a players' strike in 1972, the Professional Football Charter was adopted in 1973 to regulate players' status, contracts, and development.
French clubs had reopened their doors to foreign players starting in 1966, becoming a key destination for foreigners, including Yugoslavs. Between 1969 and 1978, 106 Yugoslav players competed in France's top two professional divisions.
Todorov recalls: "At age 30, I began professional coaching at Stade Français in Paris. Afterward, I coached Brest, then Lyon La Duchère."
Todorov returned to French club Limoges as coach in the 1985–1986 season, achieving a surprise by eliminating Nantes from the French Cup via a penalty shootout.
He remembers: "Throughout my career, I often took charge of struggling teams. I never failed; they called me the 'doctor of sick teams.' I left France for Africa—Gabon."
Doctor of Sick Teams
Gabon was his first stop in Africa. Todorov does not retain many details from that experience in his memory, but he remembers it as the beginning of a new phase in his career, before returning to France and then heading back to Africa via Morocco.
His first stint in Morocco was with AS Salé during the 1995–1996 season. The following season, he moved to Maghreb Fez, leading the team to promotion to the top division in 1996–1997 after finishing first in the Second Division.
Todorov recalls: "When I promoted Maghreb Fez to the top division, thousands of fans were crying in the streets with joy. They threw me into the city's fountain. It was a wonderful adventure."
Maghreb Fez's promotion was not the only achievement remaining in Todorov's memory. He says: "In Morocco, passion was greater. I wasn't looking for big or fast players; I searched for talents. Talented players progress faster. I succeeded in discovering 27 players who became professionals or national team members."
The following season, Todorov moved to Kawkab Marrakech, finishing the campaign in second place in the Moroccan league.
Afterward, he joined FUS Rabat, coaching them between 1998 and 2000, before leaving Morocco for a new experience in the Gulf.
After FUS Rabat, Todorov left Morocco for the UAE, where he coached Al-Ahli Dubai in the second half of the 1999–2000 season. The following season, he moved to Saudi Arabia to coach Al-Shabab.
Following his experience in Saudi Arabia, Todorov returned to North Africa via Tunisia, where he coached Étoile du Sahel in summer 2002, before the stint ended in November of the same year.
He then returned to Morocco once again, taking charge of Wydad Casablanca in July 2003. He led the team to the semifinals of the African Cup Winners' Cup but lost to Tunisia's Étoile du Sahel 2–0 in the first leg and 1–0 in Casablanca, thus exiting the tournament.
The African exit was not merely the end of the story but also the beginning of another crisis. Wydad's league results were unconvincing; after nine matches, the team had secured only three victories. Fans and board members began demanding Todorov's departure.
He recalls: "I spent 12 years in Morocco; it was the most passionate period of my career. In Tunisia, I achieved good results with Esperance and Étoile du Sahel, and I enjoyed it—it's a wonderful tourist country."
Todorov found his greatest passion in Africa, moving from Gabon to Burkina Faso and then to Congo. He told "Masrawy": "In Africa, talents grow like mushrooms; they need training, motivation, and a desire to succeed. I am proud to have shared my passion with young African players because I saw the desire to succeed in their eyes."
He recounted: "Congo was extremely exciting for me because I had to search for and develop unknown players. Fortunately, they had a very good mentality. The young players I discovered became professionals and well-known figures, such as Domiya, Oniangue, and Ndinga. They had a strong desire to improve. Thanks to them, I experienced unforgettable moments; I enjoyed building a team from unknown players."
From Africa to Egypt
After a long journey through Arab clubs and African national teams, the Frenchman said: "I change clubs, cities, countries, and continents, and I enrich myself through this. Thanks to Africa, I am an African."
Todorov arrived in Egypt in 2010. He recounted: "Egypt is something else; it has large stadiums, great fans, high-level players, and respectful officials. I carry only beautiful memories, and I regret staying for only one year."
Todorov's arrival in Egypt was no coincidence. When he was appointed coach of El Mokawloon, it was based on his experience in the Middle East and North Africa and his ability to lift the team from the bottom of the league table.
Todorov was not satisfied with just one goal scored by Salah at Al-Ahly. He recalled: "My translator, Hassan, stayed in Egypt with Salah and me to work on perfecting his finishing touches. After five weeks, his progress was evident. Nevertheless, he wanted more; he kept asking, 'What else can we do?'"
Todorov believes that talent is judged from the stands. He said: "If you want to judge a player's talent, put yourself in the stands. When a player receives the ball, you scream, 'Pass to the left!' but the ball has already gone to the left. That is talent; the rest develops through matches and repetition. The key to success is confidence."
After his stint with El Mokawloon, which ended on April 15, 2011, he moved to Najran in Saudi Arabia, then returned to Africa with Mangasport in Gabon, followed by his final experience with USM Belouizdad in Algeria in 2017.
While Todorov gradually stepped away from the football scene, Salah continued his rise: from Basel to Chelsea, then Fiorentina and Roma, finally reaching Liverpool, where he forged his legend.
My Greatest Sorrow Was Zarouali, and Salah My Greatest Joy
Today, 76-year-old Todorov sits in his home in France, following from afar the player he spotted before the world knew him. Regarding Salah's transfer to Trabzonspor, he said: "After ten years among the world's best players, at the age of 32 he went to Trabzonspor. Unfortunately, he could have offered so much to many clubs in Europe."
After his long journey, Todorov admitted: "All the teams I coached remain in my heart. My greatest sorrow was the death of the young Moroccan Zakaria Zarouali, and my greatest joy was given to me by Mohamed Salah."
