Salah tests positive for Covid-19

JOHANNESBURG. — Liverpool striker, Mohamed Salah, has tested positive for the coronavirus on the eve of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo, the Egyptian Football Association said yesterday.

“The medical swab conducted on the mission of our first national football team showed that our international player, Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool star, was infected with the coronavirus, after his test came back positive,” the federation said in a statement on its Facebook page.

“The player does not suffer from any symptoms. The other members of the team tested negative.

“Salah underwent the medical protocol after the team’s doctor coordinated with his English club. In addition to his isolation inside his room and also isolating all his contacts.”

The federation said he will undergo further checks in the coming hours.

Salah’s positive test is another blow for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who is already facing a defensive crisis with the loss of centre backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, potentially for the remainder of the season.

Added to that the absence of the versatile Fabinho and right back Trent Alexander-Arnold to less severe injuries, and Klopp’s options are shrinking for the visit of Premier League leaders Leicester City to Anfield next weekend.

He will likely start up front with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and in-form new signing Diogo Jota, who has scored seven goals in 11 appearances in all competitions since his arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers in September.

But’, the loss of Salah, who is joint leading scorer in the league this season with eight goals, eats further into Liverpool’s squad depth that is being tested to the limit.

Klopp will be hoping the remainder of the international window provides no more bad news.

It proved to be a fruitful outing for home teams in Thursday’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations action with nine of the 10 matches going in the hosts’ favour.

Reigning African champions Algeria stretched their unbeaten run to an incredible 21 matches with a 3-1 win over Zimbabwe in Algiers. Goals from Baghdad Bounedjah, Sofiane Feghouli and Riyad Mahrez moved the Desert Foxes five points clear atop Group H.

Cote d’Ivoire also ended the day as leaders of their group. Veteran forward Gervinho and Sebastien Haller, who made his Elephants debut in Abidjan, found the back of the net for the 2015 champions as they got their qualifying campaign back on track.

Ghana also made it three wins from three matches thanks to a brace from Black Stars captain Andre Ayew in a 2-0 victory over Sudan at Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

Ajax Amsterdam’s Lassina Traore was also at the double as he carried his club form onto the international stage in a 3-1 win for Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou. Victory moved the Stallions level on points with Uganda who squeezed past South Sudan 1-0 in Entebbe earlier in the day.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also on target following a poor weekend at club level.

The Arsenal forward scored what proved to be the winner in a 2-1 result in Franceville that moved the Panthers three points clear in Group D.

There were also wins for Zambia, Congo and Cameroon who thumped Mozambique 4-1 in Douala. Vincent Aboubakar scored a brace for the Indomitable Lions who have already qualified for the 2022 showpiece by virtue of being hosts.

The only draw of the day came in Praia where Rwanda held Cape Verde to a 0-0 stalemate.

Full list of results

Uganda 1-0 South Sudan (Grp B)

Cameroon 4-1 Mozambique (Grp F)

Cape Verde 0-0 Rwanda (Grp F)

Congo 2-0 Eswatini (Grp I)

Ghana 2-0 Sudan (Grp C)

Ivory Coast 2-1 Madagascar (Grp K)

Zambia 2-1 Botswana (Grp H)

Algeria 3-1 Zimbabwe (Grp H)

Burkina Faso 3-1 Malawi (Grp B)

Gabon 2-1 The Gambia (Grp D)