AFCON: Mohamed Salah downplays Egypt’s title chances despite Ivory Coast win

Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egypt national team, insisted that the Pharaohs should not be considered favorites to win the Africa Cup of Nations, despite their dramatic victory over Ivory Coast.

Egypt knocked out the defending champions in the quarter-finals with a thrilling 3-2 win on Saturday evening, booking their place in the semi-finals of the tournament.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Salah said:
“I am not saying that we are favorites to win over the players. The other three teams are players who play in Europe. Rather, our players are local, and this does not diminish them, nor will we do our best to achieve for our country.”

The Liverpool star addressed Egypt’s efficiency in front of goal, adding:
“We were able to take advantage of every opportunity against the Côte d’Ivoire national team, and we were not successful with set pieces, but we played a great match and won.”

Looking ahead to the semi-final clash, Salah acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming challenge against Senegal.
“The Senegal match is very difficult. They have players playing at the best levels in Europe, but we will do everything we have to achieve victory,” he said.

Egypt will face Senegal at the Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier on Wednesday, with kick-off scheduled for 5:00 PM GMT, as the Pharaohs aim to continue their AFCON journey after eliminating the holders of the previous edition.

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