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.
Salahs humility is admirable, but lets not overlook South Africas resilience. Both teams showed true grit in the match.
Honestly, Salahs acknowledgment of Egypts AFCON win was expected. Lets focus on the teams performance rather than individual praise.
I think Egypts victory was well-deserved, but lets not forget South Africa fought hard too. It was a tough match!
Do you think Salahs acknowledgment of Egypts AFCON win is just politeness or genuine respect for South Africas performance? 🤔
Do you think Salahs acknowledgment of Egypts tough AFCON win was genuine or just for show? Lets discuss! 🤔🔥
Do you think Salahs acknowledgement of Egypts win is just sportsmanship or does it show his true leadership qualities? 🤔
Wow, Salahs skills were on fire! Do you think Egypt can go all the way in AFCON? Lets discuss! 🔥🇪🇬 #AFCON2021
Honestly, I think Salahs acknowledgment shows his humility. But can we talk about that amazing goal by Trezeguet though? Pure magic!