All the measures taken by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) to protect Liverpool star Mohamed Salah while receiving the Inspirer award on Wednesday were in line with the English club’s guidelines, EFA Chairman Amr El-Ganainy said after the Pharaohs star tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

“Salah’s honouring ceremony was held because he is the first Egyptian player to win both the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League titles,” El-Ganainy told MBC Masr late on Friday.

On the eve of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Togo, the EFA announced earlier on Friday that the 28-year-old winger had tested positive for COVID-19 when he underwent the routine PCR test conducted before the games.

Mo arrived in Egypt on Monday to join the Egyptian national team camp ahead of Togo’s game and trained with the team on Tuesday.

He attended his brother’s wedding on Monday in Cairo where he was seen in pictures and video footage dancing in the ceremony while surrounded by the audience. He was also awarded the Inspirer award by the EFA in a ceremony held on Wednesday.

“The ceremony was coordinated with Liverpool and the player’s agent and we all agreed on the entire details. Salah appeared only for five minutes and got the prize amid social distancing upon the request of Liverpool while all the precautionary measures were applied,” the EFA president explained.

Salah entered the ceremony hall alone to pick the prize individually without contacting any of the attending officials, before giving a quick speech.

“All the other players and staff members of the national team tested negative. Salah will remain in Egypt until he recovers. He is in a very good condition physically and morally and hasn’t experienced any symptoms. He is currently in self-isolation and we informed Liverpool of the situation and our protocol,” explained El-Ganainy on Friday.

“Our international star is to follow the medical protocol after coordination between the national team's doctor and Liverpool, in addition to isolating him in his room and isolating all who came in contact with him,” the EFA wrote on Facebook.

Egypt will host Togo tonight in the third round before the team travel to Lome to play the fourth round of the 2022 AFCON qualifiers on 17 November.


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