INJURED Liverpool star Mohamed Salah defied his club and captained Egypt to a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Guinea in Cairo over the weekend, according to national coach Ehab Galal.

“Salah was hit by an injury, but played through it,” said Galal, following his debut after Portuguese Carlos Queiroz quit as he could not agree terms for a new contract.

He told a press conference that Salah rejected a Liverpool request to have a pre-match scan on the undisclosed injury, but “that will be done now”.

Egypt faced Ethiopia in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Thursday as their opponents do not have any international-standard stadiums.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Salah has experienced two major disappointments with record seven-time Cup of Nations winners Egypt this year.

They lost the Cup of Nations final to Senegal on penalties in February and fell to Senegal again in a shootout the following month, this time in a 2022 World Cup play-off. – AFP, June 7, 2022.