Salah will leave behind Liverpool tension to play for Egypt in Africa Cup

CAIRO: Mohamed Salah will escape the tension at Liverpool for a spell when he heads to Morocco with Egypt next week for the Africa Cup of Nations, following his clash with the Premier League champions’ manager Arne Slot.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confirmed Salah’s place in the side on Thursday when he announced his 28-man squad for the tournament, which kicks off on December 21, and the 33-year-old winger will miss at least two league games for Liverpool.

Club talisman Salah caused a media storm with comments after last weekend’s Premier League draw with Leeds United when he said he had been made a scapegoat for Liverpool’s poor form and that his relationship with Slot had deteriorated.

Salah was an unused substitute against Leeds, as he was in the game against West Ham United last month, and he was left out of the squad for the midweek 1-0 win at Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Salah will be available for the Brighton & Hove Albion game on Saturday after FIFA ruled that players needed to join their national teams only a week before the Africa Cup finals. Liverpool will face Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers during Egypt’s group-stage matches at the tournament.

Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush has also been included in the squad, alongside former Aston Villa player and current Al-Ahly winger Mahmoud Trezeguet.

The seven-times champions will start their campaign against Zimbabwe on December 22, before facing South Africa four days later, and will conclude the group stage against Angola on December 29.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shenawy (Al-Ahly), Ahmed El-Shenawy (Pyramids), Mostafa Shobeir (Al-Ahly), Mohamed Sobhi (Zamalek)

Defenders: Mohamed Hany (Al-Ahly), Ahmed Eid (El-Masry), Rami Rabia (Al-Ain), Khaled Sobhi (El-Masry), Yasser Ibrahim (Al-Ahly), Mohamed Ismail (Zamalek), Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek), Mohamed Hamdy (Pyramids), Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek)

Midfielders: Marwan Ateya (Al-Ahly), Hamdy Fathy (Al-Wakrah), Mohanad Lasheen (Pyramids), Mahmoud Saber (Zed), Mohamed Shehata (Zamalek), Emam Ashour (Al-Ahly), Ahmed Zizo (Al-Ahly), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al-Ahly), Ibrahim Adel (Al-Jazira), Mostafa Fathi (Pyramids), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Forwards: Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes), Salah Mohsen (El-Masry), Osama Faisal (National Bank of Egypt)