Mohamed Salah has acknowledged that Egypt had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa in their second group match at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Liverpool forward scored the decisive penalty just before halftime, but the Pharaohs were forced to play the entire second half with 10 men after Mohamed Hany received a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Despite being outplayed for long stretches, egypt held firm to claim all three points. The win guarantees them a place in the knockout stages and keeps them top of Group B.
“I’m very happy for the result, for sure. It was a tough game, they dominated most of the time,” Salah said after the match. “We walked away with the three points, it’s the most important thing. The atmosphere is incredible. Hopefully we can carry on like this.”
Salah has now scored in both of Egypt’s group-stage wins, including a dramatic late goal against Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament. While Egypt remains the most successful nation in AFCON history, their last title came in 2010. Salah, who has yet to lift the trophy in his career, is determined to change that this year.
Off the pitch, the Liverpool star has been under scrutiny following a recent controversy at club level. His remarks after a match at Elland Road led to his omission from the squad that traveled to face Inter Milan. However, he returned to action against Brighton & Hove Albion, coming off the bench in the 26th minute.
Liverpool is reportedly monitoring Salah’s situation closely during his time at AFCON. Meanwhile, Egypt will wrap up their group-stage campaign with a match against Angola on Monday.
Leave a comment