Mohamed Salah takes full advantage of controversial AFCON gift

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Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah won and then scored a controversial penalty at AFCON to put Egypt in the lead against South Africa in a tasty end to the first half

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah.(Image: FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)

Mohamed Salah was handed a controversial penalty at AFCON as the Liverpool forward captained Egypt at the tournament, and he scored from the resulting spot kick that was awarded against South Africa.

Late in the first half, with the scores level at 0-0, Salah was running for the ball inside the penalty area but was easily crowded out. Kuhilso Mudau was chasing after him and accidentally caught the Liverpool ace with his trailing finger.

Salah didn't really appeal for a foul but stayed down for a few seconds and play continued. When it eventually went out, the referee was sent to the pitchside screen, and after a delay, he pointed to the spot.

At half-time, Benni McCarthy, speaking on Channel 4's coverage of the game, described the awarding of the penalty as "very soft".

Salah made no mistake and put his team ahead, smashing the ball down the middle. Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush had picked the ball up to begin with, but the Liverpool man was always going to take it.

Shortly after the awarding of the penalty, Mohamed Hany, the Egyptian full-back, was shown a second yellow card. He had been booked on the half-hour mark for a foul and then repeated the trick in the first-half stoppage time.

(Image: Getty Images)

A win would send Egypt through to the knockout phase with a game to spare. It beat Zimbabwe on matchday one thanks to a last-gasp goal from Salah.

When he returns to Liverpool, Salah will have to decide what comes next after his remarkable recent outburst at Leeds United.

"I think when I used him in the squad against Brighton, that was a sign that we had moved on and I brought him in with the first substitution I made," Arne Slot told Sky Sports this week.

"So we've moved on but now he is at the AFCON and they have important games over there, so it is fair to him and the Egypt team that we don't talk about him as much here when it comes to Liverpool.

"But that is also fair to the players we have here because we are having to play a lot of games as well.

"So I think it is in the best interests of us, for him and Egypt that we have already shown with actions that we have moved on after his Leeds interview.

"Now he needs his full focus on Egypt and we need our full focus over here."