Salah-less Egypt brace for Kenya test

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Nov 14, 2019. 09:00

Egypt will kick-off their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying campaign without the influential Mohamed Salah.

The Pharaohs host Kenya at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Thursday evening. Kick-off is at 6:00pm CAT.

Salah has been ruled out of his country’s qualifiers against both Kenya and Comoros this month with an ankle injury, aggravated in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

The forward was pictured wearing a protective boot on his left ankle after re-injuring his leg last weekend. Salah has been suffering with the same injury since his club’s win over Leicester City at the start of last month.

His absence will come as a huge blow to the record seven-time Afcon champions, but having scored in his last two English Premier League outings, Aston Villa winger Mahmoud Trezeguet heads to Alexandria in good form as he aims to fill the void left by his Egyptian teammate.

Kenya will be without striker John Avire for the trip to Egypt, but in Michael Olunga and Jesse Were the Harambee Stars boast’s notable fire power!

Victor Wanyama will be relishing some much needed game time having only played three times for Tottenham Hotspur this season, and he will have to have a good night as Kenya eye a Group G upset.

Togo and Comoros complete the group, with the two nations to meet in Lome in their opening clash of the qualifiers.

Egypt are ranked sixth in Africa (49th in the world), in the latest FIFA World Rankings while Kenya come in at 108th in the world.