Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot as Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 at the Africa Cup of Nations with the Liverpool forward extending his spell away from Merseyside
Mohamed Salah was the matchwinner for Egypt in their latest AFCON clash, but the game was not without its controversy. The Pharaohs claimed a 1-0 win over South Africa in their second group stage match at the Africa Cup of Nations, with the Liverpool star scoring the only goal of the game.
Salah won and successfully scored a first-half penalty for Egypt, giving his country the upper hand in their second match of the tournament in Morocco. Salah was struck in the face by Khuliso Mudau and fell to the ground in the opposition’s penalty area..
As the Liverpool star held his face, referee Pacifique Ndabihaweniman did not immediately blow his whistle. The incident was subsequently reviewed by VAR, leading to an extended spell to analyse replays before a decision was confirmed.
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The extent of the scrutiny over the decision surprised some observers, given what appeared to be minimal and unintentional contact. However, after being directed to review the footage, Ndabihaweniman awarded the penalty and began handing out yellow cards.
South African duo Mudau and Lyle Foster were both cautioned, with the latter contesting the decision. Salah made no mistake with his chance, calmly slotting his penalty with a delicate chip into the middle of the goal, reports the Mirror.
Egypt’s match took a turn when full-back Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card. The defender was sent off for a foul on the halfway line just before half-time.
The drama didn’t stop there, as South Africa were denied a penalty in the final moments of the game. They were given a free kick on the edge of the penalty area after Yasser Ibrahim, blocking a shot from Teboho Mokoena, used his arm.
Despite a VAR review, no penalty was given even though Ibrahim seemed to be inside the area. It appeared that the defender’s arm was merely breaking his fall.
Egypt will next take on Angola in their last group match, hoping to secure their position at the top of the group. This means Salah’s absence from Liverpool will continue.
The round of 16 matches are scheduled between January 3 and January 6. As a result, Salah will certainly miss Liverpool’s upcoming matches against Wolves, Leeds and Fulham over the next few weeks.
Liverpool will face Wolves on Saturday in their first match after Christmas, before hosting Leeds on New Year’s Day and later Fulham in early January. If Egypt were to progress even further at AFCON, it would see Salah be unavailable for the Reds for even longer.
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