"I am going to be the big man": so said former Egyptian golden boy Mido before the African Nations Cup -- Tuesday's semifinal with Senegal saw his boast reduced to ridicule.

The 22-year-old striker may have dyed golden locks but that was the only thing shining about him following his extraordinary behaviour when he was substituted with 11 minutes remaining of the match with Senegal and the game delicately poised at 1-1."What me guy?!" was his initial reaction to coach Hassan Shehata's brave decision to pull him off after a listless and ineffective performance by the Spurs forward.

However astonishment turned to anger as he ambled off the pitch in surely one of the most bizarre and eyecatching moments in the history of major football tournaments.

Mido then had to be separated from Shehata by 39-year-old veteran Hossam Hassan and the 74,000 crowd voicing their displeasure at his antics with cries of 'out! out!'

Then followed a conversation or rather diatribe between Shehata, a distinguished former Egyptian international and the first player from his country to be named Asian Footballer of the Year, and his deranged player.

"Why are you taking me off?" asked a furious Mido.

"Because I am the coach," replied Shehata.

"You are nothing but a donkey!" stormed Mido.

"No it is you who is the donkey," replied Shehata.

A minute later Shehata's moment of triumph came as Amr Zaki, the man who had replaced Mido, headed home the decisive goal.

African football has been ever thus, for whereas British football has plenty of bust-ups between players and coaches they are usually reduced to four letter expletives but in Africa insults usually are rather more olde worlde.

For Mido is not the first high profile striker to fall foul of the national team coach as Emmanuel Adebayor found out earlier in the tournament after the new Arsenal recruit had also to be separated from Togo boss Stephen Keshi.

"He's a crybaby," commented Keshi the day after the altercation.

Adebayor can probably cope with that slight as it does not reflect on his ability on the pitch but for Mido to be called a donkey is not exactly a good selling point when it comes to securing a permanent transfer.

Trouble seems to have followed Mido around and for a striker of his age to have already acquired the sobriquet of 'much travelled' is not a good tag -- as he has played, albeit at the top level, in the Netherlands, France, Italy and England.

"Out! Out! Out!" screamed the 74,000 Egyptians fans after Mido's antics -- and it looks like Mido's touch has gone from gold to dust.