Nantes FC striker Mostafa Mohamed celebrates after scoring his goal during the match with Toulouse. Photo courtesy of Nantes FC Twitter account.
The French side, which was relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing 17th in Ligue 1 last season for the first time since 2013, began its camp for the new season on 24 June, but Mohamed did not join his teammates until now.
“I've never seen anything like this,” the coach, who just returned for a third stint with the club, told Ouest-France about the absence of the Egyptian international on Saturday.
Since Nantes’ relegation after their league loss to Lens earlier in May, the future of the 28-year-old striker has been the subject of speculation, with reports linking him to a return to Egypt as Zamalek and Pyramids FC seek to sign him.
Even before the club's relegation was confirmed, former Nantes coach Antoine Kombouaré said Mohamed had been trying to leave the club for several months but had failed to attract any offers.
“Today, we see a lot of contradictions and illogical things in football. The player is the one who took that decision, and we will see what will happen when he returns,” the coach added.
Nantes story
Mostafa Mohamed joined Nantes from Turkish side Galatasaray in the summer of 2022 on a season-long loan before making the move permanent in 2023. During his four-year spell, he scored 29 goals in 136 appearances across all competitions for the French club.
An imposing striker, Mohamed established himself as a key player for Nantes, but lost his status over the past two seasons. He struggled for form in the last season, scoring just four goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances.
His dip in form contributed to Egypt coach Hossam Hassan leaving him out of the squad that recently competed at the FIFA World Cup, where the Pharaohs were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 3-2 defeat to Argentina.
The former Zamalek forward was linked with Ligue 1 sides OGC Nice and RC Lens during the previous summer transfer window, according to French newspaper L’Équipe.
He was also reportedly in advanced talks to join Saudi Pro League side NEOM SC, according to a report by Foot Africa in August 2025.
Mostafa Mohamed began his career in Zamalek’s youth academy in 2016 and won four titles with the club’s senior team, including the Egyptian Premier League and Egypt Cup in the 2018-2019 season.
He was the top scorer at the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations and scored 19 goals in 53 appearances for Zamalek’s first team.
He made his debut with the Egypt senior football team in 2019, netting 14 goals in 61 appearances with the Pharaohs.
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