JOHANNESBURG: Injured Liverpool star Mohamed Salah defied his club and captained Egypt to a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Guinea in Cairo at the weekend, according to national coach Ehab Galal.
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“Salah was hit by an injury, but played through it,” said Galal following his debut after Portuguese Carlos Queiroz quit because he could not agree terms for a new contract.
Galal told a press conference that Salah rejected a Liverpool request to have a pre-match scan on the undisclosed injury, but “that will be done now”.
Egypt face Ethiopia on Thursday in Malawi capital Lilongwe because their opponents do not have any international-standard stadiums.
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Two-time African Footballer of the Year Salah has experienced two major disappointments with record seven-time Cup of Nations winners Egypt this year.
They lost the Cup of Nations final to Senegal on penalties in February and the following month fell to Senegal again in a shootout, this time in a 2022 World Cup play-off.-AFP