Football

Mohamed Salah Released Early from International Duty, Will Miss Mauritania QualifierLiverpool star Mohamed Salah will not feature in Egypt's upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritania next week, as confirmed by his club on Saturday. The 32-year-old forward has been released early from international duty amid concerns over playing on artificial turf and injury risks.On Friday, Salah played a pivotal role in Egypt's 2-0 victory over Mauritania, scoring the second goal to seal the win. However, Egypt manager Hossam Hassan expressed concerns about the potential impact of playing on Mauritania's artificial turf on Salah's fitness.Egypt, the record seven-time African champions, currently sit atop Group C with a perfect record after three rounds. They need just a single point in their next match to secure qualification for the tournament.Liverpool also confirmed that Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk has been released early from international duty after receiving two yellow cards in the Netherlands' 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw with Hungary.Both Salah and van Dijk will not participate in any further international matches this month, as Liverpool seeks to manage their workload and minimize the risk of injuries.

Egypt, led by star forward Mohamed Salah, cruised to a dominant 4-0 victory over Botswana in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. Salah opened the scoring for the Pharaohs, who extended their lead to 2-0 at halftime thanks to another goal from Mahmoud Hassan (Trezeguet). Salah added to his tally in the second half, tapping in a cross that evaded the Botswana defense. Mostafa Fathy sealed the rout in added time, giving Egypt a maximum six points from their opening two matches.Other African powerhouses had mixed fortunes. South Africa snatched a dramatic 3-2 win in South Sudan, with substitute Thalente Mbatha scoring the decisive goal in the 95th minute. Nigeria, however, were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw in Rwanda, despite the efforts of Ademola Lookman.In Group G, defending champions Ivory Coast defeated Chad 2-0, with Jean-Philippe Krasso opening the scoring. East Africa celebrated victories, with Kenya beating Namibia 2-1 and Tanzania edging Guinea 2-1.Travel difficulties hampered Botswana's preparations, as they arrived in Francistown from Mauritania just seven hours before facing Egypt. Despite the challenges, Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko made several impressive saves, but could not prevent the Pharaohs from securing a comfortable victory.Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari was the star of the show in Kigali, denying Nigeria's attacking threats, including Lookman. The Super Eagles remain in contention for qualification, but will need to improve their performance in their upcoming matches.South Africa's Mbatha has emerged as a key player for his country, scoring crucial goals in both of their qualifying matches. The Bright Stars of South Sudan showed resilience, but ultimately fell short against a more experienced South African side.Kenya's victory over Namibia puts them top of Group J, while Tanzania's win over Guinea keeps them in contention in Group H. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign is set to continue in October, with several key matches on the horizon.