Salah greeted with 'lezginka' dance in Russia

Egyptian international Mohamed Salah's stunning first season with English Premier League side Liverpool earned him a long-term contract with the club on Monday.

"Liverpool Football Club can confirm Mohamed Salah has signed a new long-term contract with the club," read the club statement.

"The Egypt forward has committed his future to the Reds by putting pen to paper on the deal, a little over one year after originally arriving at Anfield from AS Roma," it said.

Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah has been ruled out of the next two Africa Cup of Nations games with a hamstring injury, his country's football association said Friday.

"Tests on Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egypt national team, proved that he suffered a hamstring injury and will miss the next two matches of the team at the AFCON," the Egyptian FA said in a statement.

Salah, 31, came off late in the first half of the Pharaohs' 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday.

He will therefore sit out Monday's final group game against Cape Verde and any last-16 tie that would follow that.

After drawing their opening two games at the tournament, the record seven-time African champions need to beat already-qualified Cape Verde to be guaranteed of advancing in second place in Group B.

That would tee up a last-16 tie in San-Pedro on January 28, while they could also potentially qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

He will therefore only feature again at the competition if Egypt make it to a quarter-final on February 2 or 3.

Egypt needed an injury-time penalty from Salah to salvage a 2-2 draw with Mozambique in their opening game at the tournament.

On Thursday they had to come from behind twice to draw with Ghana, Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed scoring their goals, with the result leaving them on two points from two matches.

The last of Egypt's seven titles at the Cup of Nations came in 2010, a year before Salah made his international debut.

After his team crashed out of the World Cup, Egypt's star player Mohamed Salah has won a consolation prize in the form of honorary citizenship of Chechnya.

Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on Telegram that he had presented the Liverpool star with the honorary title while hosting a dinner for the Egypt team, whose World Cup training base is in the Chechen capital Grozny.

"Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of Chechnya! That's right!" Kadyrov wrote late Friday.

"Tonight I signed a decree to grant the high honour to the great footballer who plays for Egypt and Liverpool."

Kadyrov, supported by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, rules Chechnya with an iron fist, drawing constant condemnation from human rights groups.

He is known as an ardent football fan and in 2013 took to the public address system during a match involving Chechen team Akhmat (formerly Terek) to publicly insult the referee.

Salah has been photographed smiling and clasping hands with Kadyrov during the tournament.

Egypt crashed out of the World Cup after losing to Russia 3-1 on Tuesday, with Salah returning to action for the first time in three weeks following a shoulder injury but unable to save his team. The Egyptians play their final match against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Kadyrov said that at "a gala dinner that I gave for the Egypt team I presented Mohamed Salah with a copy of my decree and a lapel badge. This is a well-deserved honour!"

The Chechen leader has previously presented French actor Gerard Depardieu with the same honorary title.

He also said that he was confident that Akhmat would play a friendly with the Egyptian national team in Grozny at some future date.

Kadyrov said Salah had praised the "wonderfully warm and good welcome" the team received in Grozny.

Serial goal scorer Mohamed Salah has conquered the world, Europe and England with Liverpool. Now he dreams of leading Egypt to African glory.

He has come agonisingly close twice with his country, being part of the teams that lost the 2017 and 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finals to Cameroon and Senegal respectively.

In between reaching those title deciders, hosts Egypt suffered a humiliating last-16 loss to outsiders South Africa that left a 70,000 Cairo crowd speechless.

Egypt are among the favourites for the 2024 title in the Ivory Coast as they seek a record-extending eighth title in the premier African sporting event.

Drawn with Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B, it is widely expected that Egypt will finish first and qualify for the round of 16.

But captain Salah and his Pharaohs teammates want more. Much more. They want to play in the February 11 final at the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan and win it.

"I want to win this competition," said the prolific scorer in Cairo as he showed off a new haircut following social media criticism of his scraggly locks.

"Having come so close twice, I would love to help Egypt win the final and lift the Cup of Nations trophy.

"I am so happy to play in this wonderful African football tournament and my teammates and I are desperate to succeed.

"It means a lot to play for the Egyptian national team. It is a great feeling to put on the red jersey, which has been worn by some many greats in the past.

"Every time I step on the pitch I am conscious of my role -- I am representing millions of Egyptians.

"We know the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities, towns and villages will be empty when we play in the Ivory Coast.

"People will either be at home or in cafes, cheering our every move, willing us to score and wishing us success."

Salah, who arrived at Liverpool in 2017 after spells with Al Mokawloon in his homeland, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma, is no stranger to success.

He helped Liverpool win the Club World Cup and UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League one year later.

In his last match for the Reds before flying to Egypt, the 31-year-old whose full name is Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly netted twice in a 4-2 league win over Newcastle United.

Ghana boast the third most successful Cup of Nations record with four titles, behind Egypt (seven) and Cameroon (five), but it is 42 years since they last triumphed.

Otto Addo, who quit as Black Stars coach after an early 2022 World Cup exit in Qatar, turned heads when he said the fixture against Egypt will be the easiest in the group for his country.

"Egypt are going to be overwhelming favourites to beat Ghana so all the pressure will be on them. The Black Stars will be motivated by the fact that no one gives them a chance.

"I believe it is easier to face Mohamed Salah and the other Egyptian stars than trying to break down the well-organised defences of Cape Verde and Mozambique."

Ghana are pinning their hopes of a good run on Mohammed Kudus, an attacking midfielder who has been outstanding for West Ham United this season.

They can also call on the long-serving Ayew brothers - attackers Andre and Jordan -- as they attempt to banish memories of a disastrous 2022 campaign that ended in first-round elimination.

Argentina denied reports Friday that players want coach Jorge Sampaoli sacked before their final World Cup group game against Nigeria after a humbling 3-0 defeat by Croatia.

"It's absolutely false," read a statement from an Argentine team official.

"All that has been said about a players' meeting or anything else, it is all false," the source added.

Following Thursday's match, there were reports in both local and international media of a rift between Argentina players and the coaching staff.

It was also suggested that 1986 World Cup winner Jorge Burruchaga, the team's technical director, would take charge for Tuesday's must-win game against Nigeria.

"They want to sack Sampaoli, bring in Burruchaga and follow Spain's example," Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, who has coached several Argentine clubs, said on Thursday.

Spain dismissed coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup after Real Madrid announced he would replace Zinedine Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu following the tournament.

Argentina suffered their heaviest first round group-stage defeat at the World Cup since 1958 against Croatia, leaving them on the brink of elimination after an opening 1-1 draw with Iceland.