Tag: Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah scored as 10-man Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 in Agadir on Friday to become the first qualifiers for the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Liverpool star converted a penalty on 45 minute, and South Africa were denied a spot-kick late in the second half when Yasser Ibrahim appeared to handle the ball inside the box.

Egypt were reduced to 10 men in the first-half added time when right-back Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card for a stamp, followed by a red.

After two rounds in Group B, record seven-time champions Egypt have six points and are guaranteed a top-two finish and a place in the round of 16.

South Africa have three points, and Angola and Zimbabwe one each after they drew 1-1 in Marrakesh earlier.

“I’m very happy with the result, for sure. It was a tough game; they dominated most of the time. It’s a team that can keep the ball for a long time, so I think we had a good game plan, it worked,” said Salah.

“We walked away with the three points, it’s the most important thing. The atmosphere is incredible. Hopefully, we can carry on like this.”

The first chance fell to Salah after 11 minutes, but he could not move forward quickly enough to connect with a low cross from Hany.

That the majority of the crowd were supporting the Pharaohs became obvious soon after when the Burundi referee ignored Zizo’s appeals for a free-kick, and loud whistling enveloped the stadium.

When Mohamed Salah delivered a free-kick into the heart of the South African area, three Egyptians darted forward, but none could connect with the ball.

Midway through the opening half, a pattern had developed, Egypt were pushing forward regularly while South Africa defended with calmness and solid tackling.

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When Teboho Mokoena fouled Omar Marmoush just outside the D, he was yellow-carded. However, the Manchester City striker fired the resultant free-kick wide.

As the first half progressed, the sun broke out in the southern coastal city, a welcome sight for players and spectators with many earlier group matches staged in torrential rain.

A rare South Africa attack ended disappointingly as Lyle Foster struck a weak shot that was comfortably saved by 37-year-old Mohamed El Shenawy.

Awarded a free-kick close to the touchline, South Africa performed an intricate, multi-pass move that ended tamely as El Shenawy clutched a cross.

Salah was being closely policed by Aubrey Modiba, and as half-time drew near, the Liverpool star retreated into the Egyptian half to retain possession.

Then, as the Egypt captain chased a loose ball with Khuliso Mudau, the South African right-back raised his left arm, striking an eye of Salah.

Amid Egyptian protests, the Burundian referee viewed the incident on a VAR monitor and pointed to the penalty spot.

A lengthy delay before the kick was taken could not have eased the nerves of Salah, but he comfortably converted the penalty as Ronwen Williams dived in the wrong direction.

More drama erupted in added time when Hany stamped on Mokoena, leading to a second yellow card for the defender.

South Africa, with a numerical advantage, attacked more as the second half progressed, but Egypt came close to a second goal with Williams foiling substitute Emam Ashour after a quick free-kick.

El Shenawy displayed his agility with 15 minutes remaining, using his right hand to tip to safety a low shot from Foster. It was one of several saves that kept Egypt ahead.

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Mohamed Salah scored in added time to snatch a 2-1 victory for record seven-time champions Egypt over lowly ranked Zimbabwe in an Africa Cup of Nations Group B thriller in Agadir on Monday.

Salah came to Morocco after not starting in five consecutive Liverpool matches, with his omission leading to an outburst against manager Arne Slot.

But his uncertain future at Anfield was forgotten as he pounced on a loose ball inside the box and beat 40-year-old Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi with a perfectly placed shot into the corner.

What was expected to be a comfortable start for Egypt in Group B proved anything but as Prince Dube gave Zimbabwe a 20th-minute lead, they retained it until Omar Marmoush equalised after 63 minutes.

Victory leaves Egypt level on three points after the first series of group matches with South Africa, who beat Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh earlier.

Egypt were quick to apply pressure, forcing all 11 Zimbabweans to retreat deep into their half at the 40,000-seat stadium in the southern coastal city.

Salah delivered a dangerous cross that did not bear fruit, then had a close-range shot blocked as the Pharaohs laid siege to the Warriors’ goalmouth.

Then, 20 minutes into the first half, Zimbabwe silenced the largely Egypt-supporting crowd by taking the lead.

Emmanuel Jalai crossed into the box, Dube won possession, turned and fired a low shot past veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into the corner of the net.

It could have been even worse for Egypt as the ball ran loose in their six-yard area soon after, before El Shenawy finally grasped it.

Egypt coach and former star Hossam Hassan grew increasingly frustrated on the touchline as he shouted instructions.

There was a moment of hope for the former champions when Marmoush beat an offside trap, but Arubi dashed out of his area, won the race for possession and cleared.

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Marmoush went close as half-time drew near, unleashing a long-range shot that produced a superb finger-tip save from Arubi.

As the frustration of the Egyptians grew, former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan took a dive inside the box and was yellow-carded by the Senegalese referee.

Mohamed Salah was in perpetual motion and had a half-chance in added time at the end of the opening half, but Zimbabwe blocked his attempt.

The second half was a repeat of the first, with endless Egyptian pressure and heroic Zimbabwean defending.

After several near misses, Egypt levelled on 63 minutes when Marmoush got behind the defence, picked up a pass, darted forward and slammed the ball into the net from a tight angle.

Salah found himself one-on-one with a defender 12 minutes from the end of regular time, but his hurried shot flew over. Then came his added-time winner.

Ahead of the match, Salah had shown no signs of being distracted by the uncertainty surrounding his future at Liverpool, according to Hassan, an AFCON winner as a player.

“I feel his motivation is very, very strong. Salah is an icon and will remain so. He is one of the best players in the world, and I support him in everything he does,” said Hassan.

Salah did not start any of the last five Liverpool games before the AFCON, and things came to a head following a Premier League draw at Leeds United when he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by Slot.

That suggested a move away from the troubled league champions during the January transfer window was a real possibility.

Salah wants to lead Egypt to a record-extending eighth AFCON title. He has never won the continental title, coming closest by being part of the teams that were runners-up in 2017 and 2022.

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Arne Slot said Liverpool have “moved on” from the furore caused by Mohamed Salah’s explosive outburst at being dropped and are showing signs of growing into the side he wants to see.

The Reds begin what could be up to a month without Salah, who is representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), away at Tottenham on Saturday.

After a run of nine defeats in 12 games, Slot has steadied the ship in a five-game unbeaten run, during which Salah did not start a single game.

“Actions speak louder than words. We moved on,” Slot told reporters on Friday, referring to his decision to bring Salah on as a substitute in last week’s 2-0 victory over Brighton.

“Now he’s at the AFCON playing big games for himself and the country. All the focus for him is over there and there should not be any distraction of me saying anything because we moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton.”

Despite a difficult second season for Slot in England, Liverpool sit seventh in the Premier League and would move into the top four with victory against struggling Spurs.

The English champions transformed their squad over the summer transfer window, spending nearly £450 million ($602 million) to bring in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez.

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Apart from the impressive Ekitike, all the new signings have struggled, and Slot conceded he had been overly optimistic over how long it would take for his new-look squad to perform consistently.

“I think we are getting closer and closer to the team I want us to be and that has gone with ups and downs,” said the Dutchman.

“But for me, that makes complete sense because all the changes we’ve made during the summer, and we made them on purpose because we thought we needed to.

“If I’m completely honest, maybe I didn’t expect it to take maybe as long as it did, but, looking back on it, reflecting on it now, I think I’ve been too positive because if you go with a new group where not all of them are completely ready to play every single game, 90 minutes in this intensity, you have to adapt.

“Sometimes he can play, then he cannot play. So it takes maybe a bit of time, and we’ve been very unlucky.”

Joe Gomez and Cody Gakpo will miss the trip to Tottenham due to injury, but Slot is hopeful that Dominik Szoboszlai will be fit to start. Frimpong returns after a two-month absence.

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Virgil van Dijk wants Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool despite the Egyptian star’s incendiary rant about the club, but the Reds captain admits he does not know what will happen over the next few weeks.

Salah came off the bench against Brighton on Saturday for his first appearance since claiming he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club following last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Leeds.

The forward also said in the same interview at Elland Road that he had no relationship with Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who had named him as a substitute for three straight games.

Salah was then omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, a 1-0 win for Liverpool, but he was back in action as a first-half substitute against Brighton.

The 33-year-old provided an assist for Hugo Ekitike’s second goal in a much-needed 2-0 win, but will now jet to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and could be absent for five weeks.

After the match, Slot said there was “no issue to resolve” with his star forward, but speculation continues to rumble over the player’s future.

Van Dijk is adamant that he wants Salah to stay and said he had told him so.

“I would love to have him around because he is one of the leaders, but the fact is he is going to AFCON. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks like we always are and let’s see,” the Dutch defender said.

“I wish him absolutely all the best — and (to) come back, hopefully. I have no control over that.

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“We hope he will be absolutely successful there, and we all hope he will be coming back to be important for the rest of the season.

“But, on the other side of it, we all know football and have no idea what is going to happen.”

Premier League champions Liverpool ended a tumultuous week by extending their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions.

Van Dijk said it proved the dressing room had not been distracted by the Salah situation.

“As a captain I have to deal with how the boys react to it and they reacted perfectly fine. Mo, in the end, reacted perfectly fine as well,” he added.

Van Dijk also praised Slot for dealing with a tumultuous period at Liverpool, whose Premier League title defence has collapsed in recent weeks.

“There is a lot of noise, pressure from the outside world and rightly so as we’ve not been close to the standard we were showing last season,” he said.

“But personally looking at it, and from the conversations we have on a daily basis, I think he has handled it very well.

“This moment of time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds. I think the manager has done perfectly.”

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Mohamed Salah played a key role in Liverpool’s vital win against Brighton on Saturday after an explosive interview raised questions over his future at the club, as Arsenal avoided a major embarrassment against Wolves.

The Egypt forward, the subject of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the game at Anfield, came off the substitutes’ bench to huge cheers in the first half, replacing injured defender Joe Gomez.

The home team, whose Premier League title defence has collapsed after a shocking run of results, were leading 1-0 at the time, with France forward Hugo Ekitike on the scoresheet after just 46 seconds.

Brighton squandered a number of opportunities to level, and Ekitike scored his second with half an hour to go, heading home Salah’s corner.

The Egyptian superstar now has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League — 188 goals and 89 assists — a new record by a player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney’s mark for Manchester United.

Saturday marked a dramatic change of mood around Salah, who last week accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” after he was left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds.

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That was the third match in a row that he had been named among the replacements.

The 33-year-old winger also said he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot in his extraordinary outburst and was omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0.

After Saturday’s win, Slot said there was “no issue to resolve” with Salah, though uncertainty remains over his long-term future at the club.

“For me he’s now the same as any other player,” said the Dutchman.

“You talk to your players if you’re happy or unhappy with things, but there’s nothing for me to talk about after what happened against Leeds, after the game.”

He added: “I spoke to him yesterday and I think, as I usually never say anything about (what) we talk about, I’m not going to make an exception now, but I think actions speak louder than what has been said.

“He was in the squad again and when I had to make my first substitutions, I brought him in. And he performed as I think every fan, including me, would like him to perform today.”

Salah will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and could potentially be absent for five weeks.

The 2-0 win — Liverpool’s first at Anfield since November 4 — lifts Slot’s men to sixth in the table.

But their title defence is in ruins after a terrible run of just two wins in 10 league matches before the visit of Brighton.

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Mohamed Salah has been included in Liverpool’s squad for their Premier League match at home to Brighton on Saturday following talks with manager Arne Slot, according to several British media reports.

Both the BBC and Sky said the decision was made with Slot, who had made it clear he would have the final say on whether to recall Salah, wanting to act in the best interests of the club.

The Dutchman had previously said he would speak to Salah on Friday morning following the Egypt striker’s outburst last weekend that raised doubts about his Anfield future and saw him omitted from the squad that travelled to Italy for a Champions League win over Inter Milan in midweek.

Salah accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” after he was left on the bench for last week’s 3-3 draw at Leeds — the third match in a row that he did not start.

He also said he had no relationship with Slot when he spoke to reporters after the match at Elland Road.

On Tuesday, Liverpool won 1-0 at Inter Milan, while the 33-year-old Salah posted a picture on social media of himself alone in a gym at the club’s training ground.

“I will have a conversation with Mo this morning — the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow,” Slot told his pre-match press conference.

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“I think the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. You can keep on trying, but there is not much more to say about it.

“After the Sunderland game (a 1-1 draw on December 3 in which Salah came on as a second-half substitute) there were a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me.”

Slot batted away further questions from reporters about the forward, but said: “I have no reasons not wanting him to stay, and that is a little bit of an answer to your question.”

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool in April, which made him one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League, is due to join the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations after Saturday’s Brighton game at Anfield.

The length of his absence depends on how far Egypt go in the competition in Morocco, with the final taking place on January 18.

Salah, third in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts with 250 goals in 420 appearances, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph during his spell on Merseyside.

He scored 29 Premier League goals last season as Liverpool romped to a 20th English league title, but has managed just four league goals in 13 appearances this season.

Liverpool are 10th in the table after a shocking run, with two wins in their past 10 Premier League games.

Salah has been linked with a move to the lucrative Saudi Pro League.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot said he would speak to Mohamed Salah on Friday morning before deciding on the forward’s availability for this weekend’s match against Brighton.

The Egypt international accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” after he was left on the bench for last week’s 3-3 draw at Leeds, the third match in a row that he did not start.

Salah also said he had no relationship with the Dutch manager when he spoke to reporters after the match at Elland Road.

The 33-year-old was left out of the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League match at Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0, posting a picture on social media of himself alone in a gym at the club’s training ground.

“I will have a conversation with Mo this morning; the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow,” Slot told his pre-match press conference.

“I think the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. You can keep on trying, but there is not much more to say about it.

“After the Sunderland game (a 1-1 draw on December 3 in which Salah came on as a second-half substitute), there were a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me.”

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Slot batted away further questions from reporters about the forward, but said: “I have no reason not wanting him to stay, and that is a little bit of an answer to your question.”

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool in April, which made him one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League, is due to join the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations after Saturday’s Brighton game at Anfield.

The length of his absence depends on how far Egypt go in the competition in Morocco, with the final taking place on January 18.

Salah, third in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts with 250 goals in 420 appearances, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph during his spell on Merseyside.

He scored 29 Premier League goals last season as Liverpool romped to a 20th English league title, but has managed just four league goals in 13 appearances this season.

Liverpool are 10th in the table after a shocking run, with just two wins in their past 10 Premier League games.

Salah has been linked with a move to the lucrative Saudi Pro League.

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Liverpool great Steven Gerrard believes the club still needs Mohamed Salah as he urged the star forward to “reverse away” from an extraordinary outburst where he accused the faltering Premier League champions of “throwing him under the bus”.

The Egypt international was omitted from the squad that travelled to Italy for Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan following a blistering attack on manager Arne Slot and the club hierarchy after being left on the bench for last weekend’s 3-3 draw at Leeds.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled Salah a “disgrace” for his comments, but Gerrard urged the player and management to reunite for the good of everyone at Anfield.

“He’s obviously really upset he’s not playing, which I respect,” former Liverpool captain Gerrard told TNT Sports.

“A couple of lines about throwing people under the bus, wrong. Need to reverse a little bit away from that, to deal with that with the manager.”

Gerrard added bust-ups between players and management were nothing new.

“I’ve seen this and I’ve lived it with (Luis) Suarez when he fell out with Brendan (Rodgers) face to face.

I’ve been there and done it myself. I did the Salah statements in 30 seconds against (Manchester) United and got sent off,” he explained.

“So no one’s perfect and we’ve all had head loss as players, where we’ve done emotional things,” said Gerrard, who hoped Salah would eventually realise he had been a “bit emotional and a bit hasty”.

Salah’s remarks sparked reports that Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer in history could leave Anfield in January despite signing a lucrative new contract in April.

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The 33-year-old posted a picture of himself training alone in Liverpool’s weights room on Tuesday.

Salah’s outburst has piqued interest in Saudi Arabia, with a source at the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) telling AFP it will do “whatever it can” to buy him.

Gerrard, however, said: “At the end of the day, Liverpool need Mo Salah back playing well, scoring goals because he is the best player, the best scorer, and he will help them get out of this.

If this goes on, this is bigger than what we all know and what we see.”

Salah is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations after next weekend’s home Premier League match against Brighton.

An unused substitute at Leeds, Salah told reporters at Elland Road: “I said many times before that, I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship.

“I don’t know why but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.”

Salah made his explosive comments in the midst of a dismal season for both him and Liverpool.

He has played a key role in Liverpool’s two Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph during his iconic spell on Merseyside.

But he has scored just four goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season, with Liverpool 10th in the table.

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Mohamed Salah reported for Liverpool training on Tuesday as doubts continued to grow about the star striker’s future at the Premier League champions.

The Egypt forward was left out of Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League tie at Inter Milan on Tuesday following his extraordinary public criticism of Reds manager Arne Slot after he was left on the bench for the third consecutive game.

Salah drove himself to Liverpool’s training base in Kirkby on Tuesday and posted an Instagram picture of himself in the facility’s gym.

 

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The 33-year-old said after the 3-3 draw with Leeds on Sunday that he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and no longer had a relationship with Slot, sparking reports the Egyptian could be on his way out of Anfield in January despite signing a new contract in April.

Saudi clubs are reportedly preparing to make offers for Salah.

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Asked at a pre-match press conference in Milan on Monday, whether Salah, who has scored 250 times for Liverpool since signing from Roma in 2017, had played his last game for the Reds, Slot replied: “I have no clue.

“I cannot answer that question at this point in time.

“He has every right to feel what he feels, but he doesn’t have the right to share it with the media.”

Salah, who was not even used as a substitute at Elland Road, is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations after next weekend’s home match against Brighton in the Premier League.

He said he was “very, very disappointed” to have again been named among the substitutes at Leeds, adding: “I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise.

“I said many times before that, I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship.

“I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.”

Salah made his explosive comments in the midst of a dismal season for both him and Liverpool.

The Reds have won just four times in 15 matches in all competitions and sit 13th in the Champions League with nine points after being thumped 4-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven in their most recent European outing.

Salah has played a key role in Liverpool’s two Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph during his iconic spell on Merseyside.

But he has been a shadow of his former self during Liverpool’s struggles this season — the title-holders are 10th in the table — with just four goals in 13 top-flight appearances.

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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insisted that his relationship with Mohamed Salah has not broken down, even after dropping the star attacker from their trip to face Inter Milan in the Champions League.

“That’s not the way I feel, but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I haven’t felt that at all,” said Liverpool coach Slot to supporters.

The Egyptian forward was not taken to Italy despite training earlier in the day with the first team, after saying he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club and no longer had a relationship with Slot.

Salah made those comments after he was left on the bench for the third consecutive game in a 3-3 draw against Leeds.

Asked whether Salah, who has scored 250 times for Liverpool since signing from Roma in 2017, had played his last game for the Reds, Slot said: “I have no clue.”

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“I cannot answer that question at this moment in time,” added Arne Slot. “He has every right to feel what he feels, but he doesn’t have the right to share it with the media.”

Liverpool are struggling in ninth place in the Premier League and are in a crisis of form, which has only been made worse by Salah’s criticism of Slot.

Liverpool have won just four times in 15 matches in all competitions and sit 13th in the Champions League with nine points after being thumped 4-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven in their most recent European outing.

Mohamed Salah is the club’s highest-paid player in history, having signed a new contract in April, and played a key role in Liverpool’s two Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph during his iconic spell on Merseyside.

But Salah has been a shadow of his former self during Liverpool’s struggles this season; the Premier League champions are now ninth in the table, with just four goals in 13 top-flight appearances.

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