Egypt's Mohamed Salah (Photo: Reuters)
Mohamed Salah had a season to remember on the club level but he was still criticized for wasting too many chances. On Sunday, he made the most of the opportunities he had to put Egypt on the brink of a place in the World Cup qualifying playoff.
The winger, who can also operate as a deep-lying forward, scored a hat-trick that included a sublime goal to help Egypt to a 4-2 win over Zimbabwe in Harare that maintained their 100 percent record in Group G.
"I'm so happy with my three goals against Zimbabwe," Salah, who helped Basel win the Swiss league last week, said in a television interview after the game.
"I was so keen to take advantage of the goal-scoring chances I had tonight."
Salah also created the opener for veteran playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika and both men combined on several occasions to unsettle Zimbabwe's shaky defence.
"This victory will give the team a good push before Mozambique's clash next Sunday," he added.
"We are eager to beat Mozambique to continue our path towards a place in the World Cup."
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)
Short link: