MOHAMED Salah, Liverpool and Egypt star, has been ruled out of the next two Africa Cup of Nations games with a hamstring injury, his country’s football association said yesterday.

“Tests on Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egypt national team, proved he suffered a hamstring injury and will miss the next two matches of the team at the Afcon,” the Egyptian FA said in a statement.

Salah, 31, came off late in the first half of the Pharaohs’ 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday.

He will sit out Monday’s final group game against Cape Verde and any last-16 tie that would follow.

After drawing their opening two games at the tournament, the record seven-time African champions must beat already-qualified Cape Verde to be guaranteed of advancing in second place in Group B.

That would tee up a last-16 tie in San-Pedro on January 28, and they could also qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

Salah will only feature again at the competition if Egypt make it to a quarter-final on February 2 or 3.

Egypt needed an injury-time penalty from Salah to salvage a 2-2 draw with Mozambique in their opening game at the tournament.

On Thursday, they had to come from behind twice to draw with Ghana – with Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed scoring their goals – the result of which left them on two points from two matches.

The last of Egypt’s seven titles at Afcon came in 2010, a year before Salah made his international debut. – AFP, January 20, 2024.