Egyptian national team player Mustafa Abdel Raouf "Zico" expressed his happiness with what he has achieved in the World Cup, stressing that he does not believe what he has reached so far.
Mustafa Abdel Raouf Zico
Club: Pyramids
Zico shone with the Egyptian national team in the World Cup and scored two goals in the tournament.
AndAll of the following came from Zico's words in his interview with MBC Egypt channel:
"Hossam Hassan completely changed my life, he was always supporting me, talking to me, and giving me confidence".
"I only wished to participate for one minute in the World Cup, and I was surprised that I started against Brazil and then scored a goal, this is a dream for me and until now I do not believe what I have reached".
"Four years ago I was playing in the second division with Gomhoriat Shebin, and my life changed very quickly and now I have participated in the World Cup".
"In my first season with Z, I contributed to 17 goals, I scored 14 goals and made 4, and no one noticed me in the league at that time".
"There were 120 million expecting my exclusion from the Egyptian national team squad in the World Cup, and I took this matter as a challenge for me to prove the opposite".
"In the half of the match against New Zealand, I was the worst player on the pitch and also worse than anyone watching the match".
"Mohamed Hany has a great favor upon me, because he made my goal in Russia and my goal in New Zealand for me, and I know how he plays and how he sends crosses and I prepare well for them".
"When Haitham Hassan passed the Argentine defenders and passed the ball to Salah, I expected that he would pass the ball to me even though he does not see me, and I took the ready position, and when he passed the ball to me I put it in the net".
"I celebrated this goal madly, but when the referee went to the video I lost control of my nerves and I was living very difficult moments and severe sadness".
"After the goal was canceled, I quickly regained my focus, and when Salah ran with the ball and passed it to Haitham, I knew that he would pass any player and I headed to the penalty area to follow the ball and shot it into the net and started saying (Cancel the goal and they will cancel it how this is a goal)".
"We were wronged against Argentina and the goal should have been canceled just as my goal was canceled and it was possible for us to leave the match with a 3-1 result".
"I did not believe that we lost and that is why I said that in my statements after I was surprised that I was in front of the cameras, how can I be wronged and stay silent and everything I said came from my heart even if I was subjected to punishment but it had to be said".
"The reception of the fans for us was great moments, and the Egyptian fans anywhere in the world (their heart is dead) and I felt what we presented in the World Cup after I returned to Egypt".
"When the fans saw me in Egypt, they would stop my car to get souvenir photos with me".
"My son talked to me before the Argentina match and told me that I would score and celebrate by putting the Egypt shirt on his face, and when I scored I celebrated in the same way".
"I cried a lot after the Argentina match especially when I talked to my wife after the match, and I want to thank her for her support and backing for me".
"My videos after the Argentina match achieved more than 500 million views, and if the goal had been counted, the Egyptian national team would have qualified for the quarterfinals and we would have achieved the historic achievement for us and for Egypt".
"The Egyptian national team is strong and we can compete for the World Cup title and win the Africa Cup, we deserved to reach the quarterfinals or the semifinals and we would have been a strong opponent for England and in the camp we were saying that we would reach the final and face France".
"Hossam Hassan used to tell us in the lectures I will not come out against a team like this before facing Argentina".
"Messi is the greatest player in the history of football after Ronaldo for me, but on the pitch I did not feel him, and when I saw Messi looking for Salah to shake his hand I felt a great sense of pride".
"Mohamed Salah is in another place unlike the rest of the players, and I told Shobeir that he would save the penalty kick against Iran, and I also told him that he would save the penalty kick against Messi".
"The Egyptian national team must develop in the coming years and reach the round of 16 in the next World Cup, otherwise we will consider it a failure for us".
"I have 4 seasons left with Pyramids and this club has a great favor upon me and is the reason for my joining the national team and I am happy to be with this team".
"I did not watch any other match in the World Cup after Egypt's exit, I cannot do that and the matter is over for me".
"I used to work with my father selling clothes, in the morning I go to training and after that I work with him to let him rest, may God have mercy on him".
"I used to sleep in the street and wake up and go to the mosque to shower then go to training and return to complete the work, we went through very difficult circumstances and my mother suffered a lot with us, but God does not waste the reward of those who make an effort".
"I attended all the Egyptian national team matches in Cairo in the World Cup qualifiers to support the team as one of the fans even though I am a player in Pyramids, and if it were not for the presence of Hossam Hassan, Zico would not have been in the current form".
"I suffered a lot in my life and my reaching where I am now is not by chance as many think".
