Egyptian Ahmed Saber: Coach Tolan Deducted EGP 20,000 for Performing Asr Prayer

Egyptian player Ahmed Saber sparked widespread controversy in a previous statement after revealing an incident that occurred during his time playing under coach Helmy Tolan, where he faced a financial deduction of EGP 20,000 for performing the Asr (afternoon) prayer.

Speaking on the "Belo Cast" podcast, Saber stated: "We were about to play a friendly match against PetroSport, and it was time for the Asr prayer. Coach Helmy told us: 'No one will pray until the match is over,' but I decided to pray and take responsibility."

He continued: "I led the prayer as an Imam, and 12 players lined up behind me. When the coach arrived and found us praying, having not yet started our warm-ups, he decided to deduct EGP 20,000 from my salary, despite no deductions being made for the other players."

Saber affirmed that the coach's decision was due to "failure to follow instructions," but he emphasized that the financial deduction was imposed specifically because he performed the prayer, which he considered an injustice to him at that moment.