Seemingly, Shikabala is impetuous enough to make himself one of Mortada Mansour's sworn enemies without bearing in mind the possible unpleasant ramifications. Mansour, arguably one of the best lawyers in the country, has been back into the limelight since his appeal against the legitimacy of Zamalek's last presidential elections was upheld by the court of law. As he usually does after his triumphs in legal battles, the former People's Assembly member released many of his trademark fiery statements, some of which were about the temperamental Shikabala. Apart from highlighting the forward's nasty personality traits, Mansour stressed that he 'would never pay Shikabala or any other player EGP 24 million' while being at the Cairo club's helm. Shika, whose newly-signed four-year deal should see him earn that particular amount of money, was provoked by the offensive comments and retaliated in his own way. In the Whites' win over Smouha, the 24-year-old made a shushing gesture to the ex-Zamalek president, who was spectating the game, and called on the fans to cheer for incumbent chief Mamdouh Abbas. Egypt international Shikabala, who has been commonly criticized for misconduct, is set to be sanctioned for his immature act, but as a matter of fact the punishment should be the least of his worries. Mansour has an extremely long history of disputes that clearly shows how tenacious, aggressive and persevering he becomes while facing his opponents inside or outside the court.
For a taciturn person, infuriating Mansour was definitely an ill-advised move by Shikabala. In addition to his prominent legal credentials, Mansour is widely renowned for the sensational media appearances that he frequently makes to pan and defame his foes. For instance, his first reaction to Shikabala's misbehavior came during Medhat Shalabi's TV show right after the Egyptian Premier League match, when he phoned in to maul the Zamalek star. Mortada described him as 'ignorant' and 'decadent' among other harsh words, and will most probably slam him on every possible occasion ahead, especially if the former PAOK Saloniki ace beats the rap. Shikabala, on the other hand, is a media-shy footballer who is not even expected to defend himself after Mansour hurled insults and accusations at him. So for a taciturn person, infuriating Mansour was definitely an ill-advised move. Moreover, the unwise Shikabala will find himself in a more unenviable position should Mansour be re-elected as Zamalek chairman. Since Zamalek's current board of directors was convicted, the charismatic figure has been widely tipped to regain the post he had occupied for a brief spell in 2006. During his tenure, Mansour had some say in the management of the football team and repeatedly hit out at underachievers - players and coaching staff members alike.
The prospect that Shikabala could be at Masnour's mercy in the not-too-distant future should have already made the troubled footballer mull things over. Needless to say, the self-righteous man is likely to adopt the same controversial approach after his potential success in Zamalek's upcoming elections. So here is the probable scenario for Shikabala's future with Mansour in charge. To begin with, Shikabala would kiss his hefty income goodbye. Mansour's first decision in the hot seat could well be reducing his wages as he promised. He would also have to prepare himself for a plenty of verbal jousting and anticipate that Masnour would come down hard on him whenever he eases off during matches, or for no reason at all! The former Zamalek prodigy would eventually opt to leave Zamalek. No doubt that he is a sought-after versatile midfielder and would receive several worthwhile offers. However, acid-tongued lawyer Mansour would make his exit from the five-time African champions very painful. The prospect that Shikabala could be at Masnour's mercy in the not-too-distant future should have already made the troubled footballer mull things over, but I don't think he did!
