Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz has said his team “will defend with 16 players” when they protect a 1-0 lead over Senegal today in the second leg of an African World Cup play-off.
“What I mean by 16 players is that each one must make the effort of two players, not just one player,” said the Mozambique-born former Real Madrid manager and twice Manchester United assistant manager.”We deservedly won the first leg against the best team in Africa and now we are going to Senegal to fight for every metre, every loose ball. Every Egyptian must double his efforts.”
A play-off that pits Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Sadio Mane of Senegal against each other is a repeat of the recent Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
Meanwhile, former striker El-Hadji Diouf is urging Mohamed Salah to reject Real Madrid and sign a new deal with Liverpool – despite controversially claiming Salah would probably not get the deal he deserves because he is African.
The Egypt international’s contract is set to expire in 2023 and, despite the Reds’ efforts to tie him down to a new deal, the club and player have yet to reach an agreement.
“It is obvious that Liverpool must accept Salah’s demands,” Diouf told beIN Sports. “If I were Salah, I would stay at Liverpool, he can make more money, he is the best player at the club with (Sadio) Mane, and with him they will win a lot of trophies.
“He’s 30 years old, and I’m asking him to play four more years with the Reds. A transfer to Real Madrid will mean he will have to start all over again.”
Salah is believed to want £400,000 per week, which would make him comfortably the highest paid player in the club’s history.
The ex-Senegal international, who made 80 appearances for Liverpool during a volatile spell which ended in ill-feeling, also made the claim that European and African players are not viewed the same.
“Salah has to realise that he is African, so they will not treat him like the Europeans, and they will not give him the best contract like the others,” he warned. “The same thing happened to me when I was at Liverpool, they told me not to go to my country to play with my national team.”
Diouf is loathed at Anfield after spending three largely forgettable seasons with Liverpool from 2002-2005, before he was shipped off to Bolton.
