Mido hits out at Zaki

01 April 2009 08:06
Mido has accused Wigan team-mate and Egyptian compatriot Amr Zaki of spreading false allegations about him. Mido had to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench for Egypt's recent World Cup qualifier against Zambia and reports later emerged that he was furious to have been left out. The 26-year-old claims it was Zaki who leaked the story and has criticised his fellow striker for making such comments. "There were reports after the game that I protested against the coach's decision to keep me on the bench, which is totally untrue," Mido told FilGoal. "I was even more shocked to learn that one of my teammates was responsible for spreading the false rumour, with the help of his agent. "Zaki and his agent came up with that baseless story." Zaki made a stunning start to his Wigan career but has struggled over the past few months and Mido believes he must learn to be consistent. "I just want to tell him that success in Europe is not realised by playing well for a few months and scoring some goals," said the former Middlesbrough and Tottenham man. "I have been in Europe for several years now and I have scored about 70 goals at the highest levels. I think that these rubbish claims do not match my standard." Mido has also stressed that he did not react angrily when told that he would not figure in Hassan Shehata's starting line-up against Zambia. "After the coach informed me that I will not start, I literally told him: 'I am under your command and I will do my best to help the team at any time'. "I am asking coach Shehata to clear my name after these ridiculous claims. The rest of my team-mates were also witnesses. "I hope we can restore harmony inside the team if we want to reach the World Cup."

Source: SKY_Sports