Video: government intervention in the Mohamed Salah and Hossam Hassan crisis

Will the crisis end?

The crisis involving Mohamed Salah and Hossam Hassan in the Egypt national team camp has entered a new phase. The Ministry of Youth and Sports has revealed that Minister Gohar Nabil stepped in to calm tensions between the various parties, amid the row of recent days over the Pharaohs captain's absence from the match against South Sudan.

Mohamed El-Shazly, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, confirmed that the Minister is following developments directly, and that moves are under way to restore calm and stability to Egyptian football.

Speaking to Modern channel, El-Shazly said the Ministry and the Minister are tracking every detail relating to the national team. He explained that the recent interventions have helped steer matters towards calm, with everyone keen to give the squad the best possible environment ahead of the South Sudan clash.

Communication between the Minister and Salah is continuous, the spokesman stressed. He described the Egypt captain as a great asset to Egyptian sport, and not just to football.

That contact goes well beyond crises, he added. It takes in checking on Salah, congratulating him on his achievements and discussing any challenges he faces, whether during his previous spell in Europe or since his move to the Turkish league.

El-Shazly also pointed out that the Minister held talks with Hany Abo Rida, President of the Egyptian Football Association, over the stability of the national team and the welfare of the delegation in South Sudan.

Deeper moves will follow once the team returns, he confirmed, aimed at calming the situation between all parties and restoring stability across Egyptian football.

All of this comes alongside comments from Hossam Hassan, who denied any crisis with Salah. He insisted the player's absence from the South Sudan match was down to protecting him, with the game staged on an artificial turf pitch.