El Hadary spat causes storm in Egypt

CAIRO

Star Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary was left out of Cairo club Wadi Degla's premier league match Thursday following an altercation that may lead to his transfer.

The 44-year-old, who shone during Egypt's run to the 2017 African Cup of Nations final, was involved in a scuffle with his team's third-string 'keeper Khaled Walid.

The Egyptian press reported that El-Hadary had slapped Walid, which the veteran denied.

"I did not slap him," he told AFP. "I grabbed him by the shirt and threw a jersey in his face."

"He spoke to me rudely when I asked him to resume training," he said.

Having played with the winning team in four African Cup of Nations up to 2010, El-Hadary is counted among the giants of Egyptian football.

But his altercation with Walid may now end his career with Wadi Degla, with coach Ahmed Hossam (also known as Mido) informing him before Thursday's match with local rivals Al-Ahly that he would not play.

Wadi Degla president Maged Samy went even further in a post on his Facebook page.

"Available for transfer to the MLS (the US Major League Soccer) or Scandinavian leagues - veteran 44-years able to play two more years at top level," he wrote.

El-Hadary said he later received a call from Samy, who told him that he could resume training after Thursday's game, but did not dismiss the possibility of a transfer.