VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Mohamed Salah’s club career is still up in the air, but he’s building a legend in Egypt.
Salah scored his 68th international goal in the 3-1 win, moving him one goal shy of matching current Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan’s career record for the Pharaohs. world cup A win over New Zealand on Sunday night.
This was his third World Cup goal after scoring two goals in Russia 2018. Salah’s three World Cup goals are the most ever by an Egyptian player.
Salah played nine seasons for Liverpool, winning the Premier League twice and becoming the league’s top foreign scorer. However, his form has been sluggish this season, and amidst tension, he announced that his contract with the team would end one year early.
His departure from Anfield sparked debate about the striker’s next destination. For now, he is playing for Egypt, but his future plans are still unclear.
Mo Salah further etched his name into history as the first Egyptian national team captain to win a World Cup match between clubs.
“What happened today is a historic event for us Egyptians,” Salah said. “I have seen many teams win games, but for us, as Egyptians, it doesn’t happen often, it’s the first time in our history.”
Fans will have to wait to see Salah, as they expected at Liverpool. He started late in the first half, missing a direct free kick to the left and saw New Zealand take an early lead, but was not denied for long.
Salah scored on Sunday in the 67th minute off a pass from Mostafa Zico. The ball slipped under the defender and past New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe to give the Pharaohs a 2-1 lead.
Salah is yet to add to his resume, assisting the Pharaohs’ winning goal in the 82nd minute, his second assist of the match. He also assisted Egypt’s only goal in a 1-1 draw against Belgium earlier in the tournament.
“He’s a good player,” New Zealand captain Chris Wood said. “You have to keep an eye on him.”
The four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner scored nine goals in 10 games, helping the Pharaohs qualify for this World Cup. Salah became the top career scorer in African World Cup qualifying history.
Salah’s strong start to the World Cup means that many clubs will be interested in his talent.
“Salah worked hard on the pitch,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from him.”
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Connor Joyce is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports and Media Institute.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup
