Mohamed Salah spoke at a rare press conference as he provided an update on his injury situation amid plans for him to return to Liverpool.
The game, which ended 2-2, saw the Liverpool superstar limp off with a hamstring injury that rules him out of his nation’s fixtures against Cape Verde and their Round of 16 match in case of qualification.
The 31-year-old is expected to return to his club for treatment on his injury and could head back to Ivory Coast for the tournament if Egypt reach the knockout stages.
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Salah spoke to reporters at a press conference, where he insisted his injury is not the ‘most important thing’ to talk about ahead of the Pharaohs’ crunch match against Cape Verde tonight.
“I am happy to be here, my injury is still there but the most important thing is to speak about the game,” he said via Liverpool Echo. “We have great players, a great team and we just need to fight and see what is going to happen.
“We have great players and this is the best 20 players in Egypt so we need to play our game with courage and confidence and I believe we are going to win the game.”
He added: “I would love to win it, absolutely. I’ve won everything possible [with Liverpool] but not this one, yet. I believe it will happen, everything I believe I achieve, so it will happen. Sooner or later it will happen.
“You see the levels here are very close, you go to every game and you don’t know who is going to win. The football is improving a lot, players playing in Europe and big levels.
“So I think African football is improving a lot and you can see also at the world level with what Morocco did at the World Cup (semi-finalists). All of Africa were behind them, so I think it is improving a lot.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, didn’t struggle without Salah’s services as the Reds thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 on Sunday.
After the game, Jurgen Klopp revealed his star player will return to the club.
“That’s the plan, if that’s already decided 100 per cent, I don’t know but that’s the plan,” the German explained.
“However long he’s out, I think, probably everyone sees this, it makes sense that he does rehab with us or our people, that’s the plan. If that’s written in stone already, I don’t know.”
Asked if he has spoken to Salah, the Liverpool boss replied: “Yes, directly after but since the night it happened he’s in contact our doctor and the doc tells me the news. I think he will be back.”
Klopp was then asked if Salah will be allowed to return to AFCON if Egypt advance from their group to which he replied: “I’m not a doctor, I would say if he’s fit before, if Egypt qualify for the final and he’s fit before the final, probably yes. Why not, it’s clear, that’s the tournament.
“But now it’s about, Ivory Coast I’m sure is a wonderful country but it’s probably better now for players, we have no people from us there, and their people have to take care of the players who are playing.”
