Two of Egypt’s most admired figures – Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, the world-renowned heart surgeon whose career has transformed cardiac care globally, and Mohamed Salah, the internationally acclaimed footballer and national team captain – were brought together for a unique interview earlier this week.
Vodafone’s feature– “A Gift to Future Generations” – aired on ON Sports on 9 November and was later posted on Vodafone Egypt’s YouTube channel on 18 November.
What unfolded was an interview that outlined how ambition, doubt, and discipline have shaped both Salah and Magdy Yacoub along their paths.
For Egypt’s young generation navigating uncertainty, the exchange offered lessons rooted not in theory, but in lived experience.
Both men began by returning to childhood, to the small but defining moments that altered the course of their lives. Yacoub recalled how the death of his aunt sparked a clarity that never left him. “From that moment, I decided I would become a heart surgeon,” he said, describing a commitment he formed as a child and never abandoned.
Salah’s start was more instinctive; he did not have a defined path at age seven, but he remembered the feeling that guided him. “I didn’t have a vision at seven or eight. I just loved playing,” he said. Together, they show young Egyptians that dreams can begin in different ways, either with a clear mission or a simple love of something, and grow through persistence.
Their stories then converge on the importance of the people who believe in us before we believe in ourselves. Salah spoke about his father, who paid for daily travel from their village to Cairo without expecting anything in return. “He believed in me when no one else did,” Salah said. Yacoub, in contrast, said that no one in particular believed in him during his early years, but having mentors and role models helped shape his character. He reminded viewers that support, even when quiet or indirect, often forms the backbone of achievement.
The Realities of Success
When the conversation turned to the realities behind success, both men became deeply vulnerable. Salah spoke openly about the emotional toll of his early training. “When the coach shouted at me or the players made fun of me, I went to the bathroom to cry,” he admitted, explaining that he did this because he wanted to protect his position and did not want anything to jeopardize it.
Moving to Switzerland was even more disorienting for Salah: “Nobody knew me there,I thought about going back to Egypt.” What changed everything, he said, was learning to think differently, to understand new cultures, new expectations, and to adapt. Yacoub echoed the difficulty of leaving home, recalling how he had to earn his place abroad. “I had to prove myself. I worked day and night. It took a huge amount of effort.” These moments underline a truth often hidden from public view: progress requires starting over, sometimes more than once.
Their reflections on success carried a depth shaped by decades of experience. When asked what he would tell his younger self, Yacoub offered a simple, unwavering message: “Persistence. Continuity. Don’t be afraid as long as you believe in your vision.” He went on to describe success not as fame, but as a feeling that your life mattered. “Success is in your heart. Before you die, you want to feel you did the right things.” Salah added his own perspective: “On a personal level, success is being happy with your life and family. Professionally, it’s loving what you do, no matter what you achieve.”
Their combined message reframes success from something external to something internal, a definition young Egyptians rarely hear in a world focused on outcomes.
By the end of the conversation, it became clear why this meeting resonated so widely. It brought together a global sports icon and a world-renowned heart surgeon from two different generations.
When Yacoub handed Salah his book, A Surgeon and a Maverick, it felt like a symbolic passing of knowledge: a reminder that legacies are not inherited, but built.
For Egypt’s youth, facing economic pressure, competition, and uncertainty about the future,the conversation offered something rare. The interview combined personal experience with direct advice from Mohamed Salah and Magdi Yacoub, who discuss moments of doubt, the challenges they faced, and the approaches that helped them move forward.
In a moment when many young Egyptians question whether hard work still leads anywhere, this interview delivered a quiet but powerful answer. Greatness is not born; it is built. And even the biggest journeys begin with the smallest steps.
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