Egypt reaches quarterfinals of AFCON in thrilling last-minute victory witnessed by Mohamed Salah
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah watched a thrilling end to Egypt’s final Africa Cup of Nations group game. Despite conceding a last-minute equalizer against Cape Verde, Egypt progressed to the knockout stages. Salah, who was injured during a previous match against Ghana, was sidelined for this game but was present in the stadium to support his teammates. After the match, he is set to return to Liverpool for treatment. However, his agent has revealed that the injury is more serious than initially thought.
Salah witnessed the match between Egypt and Cape Verde, with the latter being the group leaders. Egypt had drawn their previous two matches and needed a win to secure a spot in the knockout rounds. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Cape Verde scoring in stoppage time of the first half and Egypt equalizing in the second half. They thought they had won the match in the 93rd minute, but the goal had to be reviewed by VAR. After the goal was awarded, Salah erupted in celebration. His teammates also paid tribute to him by holding his No. 10 shirt aloft.
The drama continued as the other match of the evening between Ghana and Mozambique ended in a 2-2 draw. This meant that Egypt secured second place in their group and advanced to the knockout stages. Ghana, with only two points, will only qualify if they are one of the four best third-place finishers, which currently seems unlikely.
Upon additional examinations, it was determined that Salah’s injury is more severe than initially thought. He will be out for 21 to 28 days and will focus on intensive rehabilitation in the UK. There is hope that he will be able to rejoin the national team for the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations if they qualify.
