Mido was left out of Egypt's squad for next month's World Cup qualifier against Algeria and the Confederations Cup for technical reasons, assistant coach Hamada Sedki said. "It was the decision of head coach Hassan Shehata, a pure technical decision," Sedki told FilGoal.com. "Mido is not injured and did not have any arguments with the technical staff." Ahli's mercurial midfielder Mohamed Barakat also missed out on the 28-man squad, which will be trimmed to 23 ahead of Egypt's anticipated encounter against Algeria on June seventh. "We did not choose Barakat because he is injured and will be sidelined for a considerable spell," Sedki added. Disappointing
Although Mido is considered one of the most successful foreign-based players in Egypt's history, his time with the national team was disappointing. The towering striker was often criticized for failing to replicate his club performances with Egypt. Accusations of lack of commitment were also common. Mido's relationship with Shehata and Egyptian fans strained following his infamous touchline row with the 59-year-old coach in the 2006 African Cup of Nations semi final. The 26-year-old, who is loan at English side Wigan Athletic from Middlesbrough, believes he is unfairly treated by media. "I will not accept any accusations hinting that I'm not fully committed to the national side," Mido said in February "I've been having bad luck with injuries, but I always put Egypt's interests above my clubs'."
