Why the Pharoahs will be missing a 'king' in the AFCON
31-year-old Liverpool forward and Premier League’s joint top scorer this season, Mohamed Salah will not be ‘saving’ his people in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) until after the Pharaohs’ next two matches.
His clinical finishing, dribbling, and speed have earned him a name worldwide as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest African players of all time.
After beating Ethiopia, Malawi, and Guinea in the 2022 AFCON qualifiers to secure a spot for the Pharaohs, Salah will have to take a break in the ongoing tournament to heal from a hamstring injury.
The Egypt National team captain was a force to reckon with in the country’s first group B match with West African country, Ghana on January 18, 2024, in Abijan, but had to leave the team barely mid-way into the game.
Salah limped out of the game after pulling up with a hamstring injury which cut short his captainship and participation in the game.
"The X-rays that Salah underwent confirmed his hamstring injury and he will miss the team's next two matches in the Africa Cup of Nations against Cape Verde and the round of 16 if (Egypt) qualify," the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said in a brief statement.
It appeared the team would have taken a hit with his departure but they seemed to have pulled off two goals to equalize 2-2 with their opponents in the game.
The Cairo giants will have to play two other games in the ongoing AFCON without their ‘star boy’ who will be receiving treatment during the period.
Mohamed Salah was supposed to lead Egypt at the African Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, skippering a 27-man squad named by coach Rui Vitoria but will be missing the final Group Stage match and the second-round AFCON fixtures if the team progresses to the next round.
The Pharaohs will need to beat Cape Verde in their final Group Stage match or hope that Mozambique wins their next match if they draw, to progress to the knockout rounds.
