Salah Shines as Egypt Advances Amid Liverpool’s Injury Woes

omidbasir- In a thrilling match, Mohamed Salah secured Egypt’s victory in the final moments against Benin, allowing the team to progress to the quarter-finals of the AFCON after a strenuous battle that extended into extra time. Egypt initially took the lead in the 69th minute when Marwan Attia executed a stunning long-range shot from the edge of the area. However, Benin’s Jodel Dossou equalized in the 83rd minute, forcing the match into an additional 30 minutes.

During the first half of extra time, defender Yasser Ibrahim regained the lead for Egypt with a powerful header in the 97th minute. Salah, who faced tight marking throughout the match, seized a counter-attack in the dying seconds, delivering a precise finish from distance. This marked his 10th AFCON goal and secured a 3-1 victory for Egypt, who will face either the Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals this Saturday.

Salah’s commitment to the AFCON tournament, held in Morocco, has led to his absence in several crucial matches for Liverpool. After departing for international duty in mid-December, he missed the away match against Tottenham, which Liverpool won 2-1. He was also absent from the home fixture against Wolves, which ended 2-1, and the goalless draw with Leeds on New Year’s Day, as well as the recent 2-2 draw with Fulham.

His prolonged absence may result in missing even more key fixtures against Arsenal, Barnsley in the FA Cup, and Burnley, depending on Egypt’s progress in the tournament, potentially extending his total missed matches to seven.

Additionally, Salah recently issued a brief apology to his Liverpool teammates after an “explosive” interview in which he criticized the club and manager Arne Slot for their poor performance. Following a 3-3 draw at Leeds, Salah expressed feelings of being “thrown under the bus” due to his benching in three consecutive matches and claimed he no longer had a relationship with Slot. Team-mate Curtis Jones revealed that Salah’s apology was heartfelt and that the squad remains united, with Slot stating that the team has moved on from the situation.

Meanwhile, Liverpool is currently facing a significant injury crisis, particularly in the forward positions, making Salah’s absence even more challenging. Key striker Alexander Isak is sidelined for several months following surgery on a fractured fibula and an ankle injury sustained while scoring against Tottenham last month. Additionally, fellow forward Hugo Ekitike is out with a hamstring injury, which arose as he took on an increased workload due to Isak’s absence.

In a recent press conference, Slot discussed the impact of these injuries, stating: “Isak has been out for a few weeks now, which has meant that Hugo had to play more minutes than he did throughout the whole season. This increase in playtime has led to a slight hamstring injury for him, which was too much for a player of his age who is not completely accustomed to the Premier League. He will be out for today, but we hope he can return for the Arsenal game, although that is not guaranteed yet.”