Egypt forward Salah misses training with a cold

CAIRO - 5 July 2019: Soccer forward star Mohamed Salah missed training on Friday as he caught a cold, two days before the Africa Cup of Nations hosts meet South Africa in a round-of-16 tie.

The Egyptian Football Association said in a statement on Twitter that coach Javier Aguirre had ordered Salah not to train “so as not to worsen his condition” without giving further details.

صلاح لن يتمكن من التدريب اليوم بسبب نزلة برد.

بسبب تعرضه لنزلة برد لن يتمكن محمد صلاح لاعب منتخبنا الوطني من المشاركة في التدريب الجماعي اليوم، وذلك حتى لا تتفاقم حالته، جاء ذلك بعد عرض الأمر على خافيير أجيري المدير الفني .#مصر_٢٠١٩ #Egypt2019 pic.twitter.com/t9he90jTYS

— EFA.eg (@EFA) July 4, 2019

Salah, who scored two goals in three games during the group stage, is one of the biggest names in the tournament and an icon in his homeland.

His absence would be a significant blow for the seven times champions, who have been criticized at home for their performances in the group stage despite winning all three games without conceding a goal.

Many Egyptians feel that the current team is a shadow of the side which won three successive tournaments between 2006 and 2010.