.jpg)
It should have been the proudest moment in his life -- instead Ahmed Abdul Zaher finds himself embroiled in controversy and his career in doubt after scoring the goal that helped his club win this year's African Champions League.
The 28-year-old's first reaction -- prior to being wrestled to the floor by his Al Ahly teammates in celebration -- was to hold out four fingers in a gesture that has become synonymous with ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsy.
Known as 'Rabaa', which means four, the salute is considered the symbol of defiance against military rule and refers to the Rabaa Al-Adawiya mosque where supporters of Morsy's Muslim Brotherhood clashed with the army in August, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
Even though Zaher claims his actions had no political meaning, the tense political situation in Egypt was highlighted by the strength of the sanctions meted out to him by Al Ahly's board on Tuesday.
0 Comments