Egypt coach Ihab Galal said that captain Mohamed Salah resisted a muscle injury to play the match against Guinea at the start of the 2023 African Nations Cup qualifiers, and refused his club Liverpool's request not to play.
Egypt needed a goal in the 87th minute with Mustafa Mohamed's shot, which changed direction to win Cairo at the beginning of the fourth group rounds.
Salah played the entire match and was honored by the Egyptian Federation on the field before the start of the match, but he did not appear at his usual level.
⚽️🇪🇬 The substitute, Mustafa Mohamed, a deceptive ball, opens the registration for the Pharaohs #African Nations_Cup_Qualifiers |
#Egypt_Guinea #AFCON2023Q pic.twitter.com/w2b7Fz53fY
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 5, 2022
Galal explained that Salah suffered from a "muscular strain", but he was prejudiced against himself.
He added in televised statements, "Liverpool did not want Salah to participate, but he pushed himself to play and trained carefully the past days."
And he indicated that the three-time Premier League top scorer will undergo tests to determine his chances of participating in the next match against Ethiopia in Malawi on Thursday.
Salah completed a difficult season with Liverpool by winning the League Cup and the English Football Association, while he lost the Premier League title on the last day, and the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
At the international level, Salah and his companions with the Egyptian national team suffered two painful blows this year, losing the 2021 Nations Cup final against Senegal, and by missing the World Cup finals, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.