2018 FIFA WC: Mohamed Salah becomes the citizen of this nation during the World Cup

XtraTime Web Desk: Though his team is out of race of reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup, but Egyptian sensation Mohamed Salah has received a rare honour as he was awarded with an honorary citizenship of Chechnya.

Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov stated that he had given the star striker an honorary title when he hosted the Egypt team for a dinner. The Egypt team’s base camp during the World Cup is at Grozny which is the capital of Chechen.

“Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of Chechnya! That’s right!” Kadyrov wrote late Friday.

“Tonight I signed a decree to grant the high honour to the great footballer who plays for Egypt and Liverpool.”

Kadyrov, supported by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, rules Chechnya with an iron fist, drawing constant condemnation from human rights groups.

He is known as an ardent football fan and in 2013 took to the public address system during a match involving Chechen team Akhmat (formerly Terek) to publicly insult the referee.

Salah has been photographed smiling and clasping hands with Kadyrov during the tournament.

Egypt crashed out of the World Cup after losing to Russia 3-1 on Tuesday, with Salah returning to action for the first time in three weeks following a shoulder injury but unable to save his team. The Egyptians play their final match against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Kadyrov said that at “a gala dinner that I gave for the Egypt team I presented Mohamed Salah with a copy of my decree and a lapel badge. This is a well-deserved honour!”

The Chechen leader has previously presented French actor Gerard Depardieu with the same honorary title.

He also said that he was confident that Akhmat would play a friendly with the Egyptian national team in Grozny at some future date.

Kadyrov said Salah had praised the “wonderfully warm and good welcome” the team received in Grozny.