Egyptian player Amr Zaki controls the ball during the World Cup qualifying playoff second leg soccer match, at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. Ghana qualified for its third straight World Cup, defeating Egypt on 7-3 aggregate with a 2-1 loss Tuesday that knocked out the Pharaohs and American coach Bob Bradley. (Photo: AP)
Egypt and Al-Salmiya striker Amr Zaki has been ruled out of play for the next two weeks because of a hamstring injury sustained during the World Cup qualifying playoff against Ghana on Tuesday.
"Scans proved a pulled hamstring because of the injury against Ghana. Two weeks of rehabilitation before returning to matches," Zaki said on his official Twitter account on Friday.
Zaki had his first starting role for the Pharaohs in several months in the Tuesday match, as he had only played his third international game in 2013. He repaid the faith of coach Bob Bradley by scoring the opener in the 25th minute.
The former Wigan, Hull City and Zamalek striker had a remarkable presence on the pitch, providing constant threat to Ghana's defence courtesy of his physical impact and abundance of effort.
At 30, he is not the impressive physical presence he was in his prime five years earlier, and he was forced to leave the game just past the hour mark with a leg injury.
Egypt claimed a 2-1 victory over the Black Stars but it was not enough to overturn their 6-1 thrashing in the first leg and reach the World Cup.
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