Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has finally joined the Egyptian national team’s training camp as they gear up for the upcoming 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed on Friday.
It comes few days after capping his Liverpool farewell before the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with two goals and an assist in the Reds 4-2 victory over Newcastle United.
Announcing his arrival, the Egyptian National Team twitted “our king is here”
The 31-year-old Salah, who also captains the Pharaohs, arrived at the team’s facilities in the New Administrative Capital after their training session on Thursday.
He joins the rest of the 26 players called up by coach Rui Vitoria for the continental championships.
Defender Yasser Ibrahim was the latest to join the camp on Thursday, though he only participated in rehabilitation exercises. With Salah’s arrival, the full Egyptian squad is now present at the training camp.
Egypt, who have won a record 7 AFCON titles, will first play a friendly match against Tanzania on January 7th. They will then travel to Abidjan, Ivory Coast where they are slated to compete in Group B alongside Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique when the tournament kicks off on January 13.
The 2024 AFCON will run until February 11 across stadiums in the Ivory Coast. As one of the powerhouses of African football, Egypt will be hoping to add to their trophy haul and captain Salah is expected to play a starring role in their campaign.