After taking a much-needed break following Champions League victory with the Reds earlier this month, Mohamed Salah came off the bench for Egypt to register two assists and earn his side the win.
Facing off against a Naby Keïta-less Guinea side, the Pharoahs took the lead in the 11th minute when striker, Marwan Mohsen netted a stunner from a flicked assist from Abdallah El-Said.
Guinea responded after Egypt’s full-back, Omar Gaber, played an awful back pass for Sory Kaba to latch onto and fire low to bring his side level in the 63rd minute.
That was minutes after Salah was introduced on the 61-minute mark to captain his side. Despite conceding a goal, the complexion of the game changed once the Reds star came onto the pitch.
Mohamed Salah captaining Egypt for the 1st time. 🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/n8pvxfk9Mv
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) June 16, 2019
His corner was curled goalwards forcing the Guinea ‘keeper to push it over the bar, then, a minute later, the 27-year-old played a sublime through ball to cut through the opposition defence, but its recipient couldn’t make the most of the chance Salah afforded him.
Later, Salah fired an attractive cross in for stiker, Ahmed Ali Kamel, who failed to get on the end of it.
Finally, in the 78th minute, Salah’s presence on the pitch told when the Egyptian King deployed his individual, virtuosic skill.
Collecting a splitting pass from the previously at fault Omar Gaber, Salah rounded the ‘keeper with a quality feint and let fly a low driving shot from a tight angle which rebounded off the post and fell kindly for Ahmed Ali Kamel who tapped into an empty net.
Salah and Keïta catching up in Egypt 🇪🇬🔴🇬🇳
📸 Via u/e2828 on Reddit pic.twitter.com/85jWzrslph
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) June 16, 2019
Just six minutes later, an exchange of passes in the box between Salah and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny left Mo with the opportunity to fire a low shot that just missed the net.
Then, just two minutes later, Liverpool’s star man provided his second assist of the night by delivering a ball for the overlapping Omar Gaber who notched the third with an angled, deflected drive into the net – again atoning for his previous mistake.
All in all, a very good night’s work for Mo Salah as the Africa Cup of Nations rises on the horizon in his native Egypt.