Fifa World Cup 2018: Egypt star Mo Salah to quit international football over Chechnya controversy?

Mohamed Salah has neither made any complaints about being exploited for political mileage of Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov nor has considered going home or retiring from international football, Egypt football team has said.

Osama Ismail, public relations officer of the North African team, has rubbished reports that claimed Salah was considering quitting Egypt after being disappointed over him being used as a political symbol to improve the image of the controversial Chechen leader during the team's stay at the Russian Republic for Fifa World Cup 2018.

CNN, on Sunday (June 24) reported Salah had informed Egypt team officials and his teammates about his decision to quit international football, quoting sources close to the Liverpool forward. 

"Mohamed Salah is at the camp and training with his teammates. He has been at all matches. He has not expressed any unhappiness to any officials. There hasn't been any mention of anything like that. He is here - eating his dinner next to me right now, Ismail told news agency, RT.

The 26-year-old football superstar was given honorary citizenship of Chechnya by its leader Ramzan Kadyrov during a farewell dinner to Egypt national football team, who had opted Grozny as their training base for the quadrennial football tournament

Egypt FA had posted photos of the dinner meeting where Salah and the rest of his teammates are taking part in a photo op with the controversial Chechen leader, who is facing accusations of gross human rights violations, including a crackdown on homosexuals and extrajudicial killings.

Kadyrov can be even seen a pinning a medal on the football superstar's chest.

Kadyrov wrote on Russian social media that it was a "deserved honour" for Salah and that he had requested Egypt FA to return to Chechnya after the World Cup to play friendlies with a local football side.

LGBT group slams Salah

Even as Kadyrov boasted on social media about the politically significant dinner party, several sections of the media began criticising Salah for accepting the honorary citizenship.

News of Salah's disapproval of Kadyrov's actions came right after Egypt left Grozny to Volgograd for their final group game of the tournament against Saudi Arabia on Monday, June 25, according to the Associated Press.

Liverpool fan group Kop Outus, which represents LGBT community, urged Salah to return the honorary citizenship, hinting the superstar forward had failed in his "responsibility to uphold human rights".

"We utterly condemn the acceptance by Mo Salah of any honour from Ramzan Kadyrov's Chechnya," Kopt Outus said, as quoted by Sky Sports.

It's statement added: "Mo and all players have a responsibility to uphold human rights and should set standards of behaviour. We ask him to return the honorary citizenship as an acknowledgement of the persecution of LGBT+ people in Chechnya."

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch and other groups had tried to persuade Fifa to drop Grozny from the list of team bases ahead of the ongoing World Cup.

Egypt coach Hector Cuper was asked about the issue during Sunday's press conference but he maintained that the national federation had opted for Grozny as training base as it was listed by Fifa.

Egypt haven't managed to impress on their return to World Cup finals after a 28-year-absence. With Salah unable to be fully fit after a shoulder injury he suffered during last month's Champions League final, the Pharaohs have no chance to make the last 16 after two straight defeats (0-1 to Uruguay, 1-3 to Russia).