Mohamed Shehata, a Zamalek player, spoke for the first time following his father’s death, after Zamalek won the Premier League title.
Mohamed Shehata’s Statements
On his official Facebook account, Mohamed Shehata wrote: First, I want to thank everyone who stood by me during the hardest ordeal I have ever faced in my life, the death of my father. May God have mercy on him. It was the most painful and shocking thing any son could go through, because a father is not just a father; a father is a backbone, a support, safety, and a whole life.
My father was the closest person to me, and he was always a source of support and care in every moment.
He added: The hardest thing for me was that at the time, I was far away and couldn’t be by his side or take a last hug from him. That is something that will remain a pain inside me forever. But this is God’s decree and destiny, and praise be to God for everything. Perhaps in times of grief, one cannot express or say what is inside, but truly, every message, every prayer, every kind word that reached me made a difference. Even people I didn’t know made me feel I wasn’t alone. That is something I will never forget. I learned that life has very difficult days, but having people who love you and support you makes a difference. Having a fan base like Zamalek’s fan base is a blessing and a great responsibility at the same time.
Shehata noted: In many moments, I felt broken inside after losing my father, but I always remembered that he wanted to see me strong, continuing, and not giving up. That is what makes me fight every day to be worthy of the trust and love I have seen. If I ever upset anyone or disappointed anyone, I am in the wrong, because the one most upset and pained by any result or loss is me.
He stated: I want to thank my teammates, the coaching staff, the management, and everyone who tried to ease my burden or pray for my father, even with a simple word. Truly, thank you from my heart. Second, I want to thank the great Zamalek fan base for the love, support, and respect I have seen from the first day to the last day of the season. Truly, I have never seen such passion and love. From the first match to the last match, you were always our true support, in every stadium and everywhere. We find you as the first people present. You never fell short or held back your encouragement, even in the hardest moments and losses. You supported us and stood by us. That is a big and rare thing.
Mohamed Shehata affirmed: At the beginning of the season, many people doubted us and the team, but with your support and trust, you made us believe in ourselves and fight until the very end. We promise to keep fighting until the last moment, because Zamalek Club and its fans deserve joy always. I want to tell the great Zamalek fan base: I am sorry. Sorry for any moment of sadness I saw in your eyes. Sorry if I was the cause of your grief after the Confederation Cup final. No one wanted that championship more than me, because I wanted to dedicate it to my father’s soul. But surely God has good things in store for us. Every delay or pain has wisdom behind it. I am in the wrong. I promise we will keep fighting and striving to make you happy, to return Zamalek to its rightful place, to compete for every title, and to bring Africa back to where it belongs, worthy of the name of Zamalek Club and its great fan base.
He continued: The season may have had moments of joy and difficult moments. We may have made mistakes and learned. But the one thing I am sure of is that the Zamalek fan base never left us alone. That places a greater responsibility on us to fight more and come back stronger. I believe that God writes everyone’s share and tests us at certain times to make us stronger. Perhaps the pain I went through taught me many things, most importantly that no matter how much a person falls, he must get up and continue, and that people’s support and love is a great blessing.
He concluded: My father, may God have mercy on him, will remain my motivation in every step. Every future success, God willing, will have a large part for him, because he
