OGC Nice completed the signing of Mohamed Abdelmonem (25) from Al-Ahly in the final days of the transfer window. The move came after severe delays due to visa issues, which were ultimately resolved, allowing the Egyptian to complete his move to Le Gym.
However, as soon as he arrived, he was expected to jet back off immediately in order to join his teammates in the Egypt set-up. As reported by L’Équipe, Abdelmonem himself personally requested to be left out of the Egypt squad, ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Cape Verde and Botswana.
This demand was accepted by the Egyptian federation, thus allowing him to acclimatise to his new surroundings, whilst also building his fitness levels ahead of what is a dense calendar for Le Gym. Speaking on Nice-Matin show Gym Tonic, Les Aiglons’ new sporting director, Florian Maurice, praised the decision taken by the federation.
“We thank the Egyptian federation for accepting his request to stay at Nice during the international break. He is changing his football, it’s a change in culture and a language change too. I hope that there is a bit of calmness regarding him. I am convinced that it will all go well,” said Maurice, alluding to the face that Abdelmonem may need some time to get up to speed at his new club.
