Egypt coach tabs Barça teen as Salah successor

New Barcelona signing Hamza Abdelkarim is ready to star at the FIFA World Cup , and could prove that he'll be the player to one day take the mantle from Mohamed Salah as Egypt 's talisman, according to head coach Hossam Hassan.

The 18-year-old was a surprise uncapped inclusion in the Pharaohs' World Cup squad in May, and a remarkable few weeks continued when his loan move to Barcelona was converted into a €1.5 million ($1.7m) permanent deal on June 10.

While Hassan acknowledges that Abdelkarim is part of the Pharaohs' future that he's building for the national side, he's already seen enough…