Egypt, following Mohamed Salah’s injury, is set to lose Mohamed El-Shenawy. The goalkeeper, injured against Cape Verde, will no longer tread the Ivorian pitches in this CAN 2023.
The Pharaohs qualified in extremis this Monday evening. By forcing Ghana to a draw, Mozambique offers the ticket to the second round to Egypt, which failed to defeat Cape Verde, the group leader. Cape Verde held the Egyptians to a draw, forcing them to concede the draw beyond injury time. If Ghana had won, Egypt would have struggled to advance even as the best third-placed team.
Egypt survives but loses Mohamed El-Shenawy
It is now a done deal; the Pharaohs advance to the knockout stage in second place. A challenging passage, the team could not secure any victories, but it is also worth noting that they did not suffer any defeats. The two matches played simultaneously were full of twists and turns. All four teams delivered high-quality performances. The next phase promises great spectacle.
In this match, Mohamed El-Shenawy was substituted in the final moments of the game between Cape Verde and Egypt (2-2) due to a dislocated shoulder. This injury forces him to withdraw from the rest of the competition.
A déjà-vu feeling arises from the situation. Already forced to withdraw from the round of 16 in the previous CAN in Cameroon, Mohamed El-Shenawy (35 years old) will not be able to finish the competition in Côte d’Ivoire. The Egyptian goalkeeper was injured in the dying moments of the match against Cape Verde (2-2) and suffers from a shoulder dislocation, thus ending his CAN 2023 journey.
As we know, the misfortune of some brings joy to others. Mohamed Abou Gabal, a perennial substitute goalkeeper in this Egyptian selection and well-known to the Senegalese as Gabaski, will regain his starting position with Egypt in this CAN.
Egypt had already lost Mohamed Salah
Before this new setback in their squad, the Pharaohs had lost Mohamed Salah. “Mohamed Salah is injured; we learned before the match that the injury was more serious than initially thought. We will have to postpone the moment when he can resume playing,” said Egypt’s coach, Rui Vitoria, following the draw (2-2) between Egypt and Cape Verde.
The Egyptian federation had announced on Sunday that the player should return to Liverpool to treat his hamstring injury on his left leg, sustained during the match against Ghana (2-2) on Thursday. They expressed hope that he could join his teammates if they qualified for the CAN semi-finals. However, a source within the Egyptian team estimated that his recovery could take between 10 and 14 days.
Previously, the player’s agent had also expressed doubts. “Mohamed’s injury is more serious than we initially thought, and he will be out for a period of 21 to 28 days, not just for two matches,” said Ramy Abbas in a message posted on X. “His best chance of participating in the current CAN is to undergo an intensive recovery program in the UK and join the team as soon as he is fit,” he added.
More worrisome, therefore, Mohamed Salah must return to Liverpool for rehabilitation and would only come back to Côte d’Ivoire to potentially participate in a final. This injury to Mohamed Salah has sparked a wave of emotions and concern, and recent statements by Sadio Mané on the matter have been at the center of media controversy. “I have been injured, and I know what it feels like. It’s unfortunate; he really wanted to help his country, that’s for sure,” said the Senegalese forward.
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