Egypt forward Mohamed Salah said his team was not among the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title but insisted they would give their best to go deeper in the tournament in Morocco.
Liverpool forward Salah scored the third goal to secure Egypt’s spot in the quarterfinals, with a hard-fought 3-1 extra-time victory over Benin on Monday.
Hossam Hassan’s side are bidding to win the title for the first time since 2010 and a record eighth time overall.
“I don’t think we are a favourite at all [to win the title],” Salah said.
“We have young players, and most of them play in Egypt. We just fight for our country... but everybody gives their best, and you could see today.”
The 33-year-old said there were no easy games in Afcon.
“The level is quite similar; I told the team yesterday that no side loses by four or five goals. [Benin] have a good team and a good coach ... I’m glad we managed to win in the end.”
Salah has scored 10 goals in 22 games in the Afcon, two fewer than Hassan El-Shazly, Egypt’s all-time top scorer in the tournament, and one fewer than his current coach, Hassan.
Egypt will face the winner of last night’s late game between defending champions Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in the quarterfinals in Agadir on Saturday.
Mohamed Yossry
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