RIFT WORSENS: AFTER ARNE SLOT FEUD, WHY MO SALAH MISSED EGYPT'S AFCON WARM-UP
Egypt defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly, but the story is Mo Salah's absence, compounding his current rift with Liverpool manager Arne Slot and future doubt.
Egypt edged out Nigeria 2-1 in their sole friendly match before the Africa Cup of Nations, though Mo Salah didn't play. Salah, who is actually 31 (not 33), has joined his national teammates to prepare for the 2027 AFCON in Morocco, where he'll lead Egypt.
Surprisingly, Liverpool's star player wasn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game, according to manager Hossam Hassan, even though Salah hasn't been a starter in Liverpool's past five games.
Arne Slot had sidelined the forward due to a dip in form, and things got tenser when Salah made some pretty strong statements in a post-game interview. After sitting on the bench during Liverpool's 3-3 tie with Leeds earlier in the month, the Egyptian star cast some doubt on his future with Anfield.
Salah said Liverpool had unfairly criticised him and suggested someone wanted him out. He added that his relationship with Slot was nonexistent.
After being left out of Liverpool's trip to face Inter Milan in the Champions League the previous week, there were serious talks before Saturday's game against Brighton. Salah was back in the team and played most of their 2-0 victory, despite starting on the bench again.
But the Egypt captain was absent when Egypt took on Nigeria. There were concerns about Salah's participation since he arrived in Egypt early Tuesday morning with Manchester City's Omar Marmoush.
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Mahmoud Saber and Mostafa Mohamed scored for Egypt in Cairo. This win was their only warm-up before starting their AFCON campaign next Monday. Egypt is in a group with Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Angola.
Salah is looking forward to winning the trophy for the first time. He mentioned in 2022, Of course, I want to achieve something with my country's team.
Should Liverpool consider selling Mo Salah? Share your opinion in the comments.
It means the world to me. Winning this trophy would feel different from any other. We almost won it before (in 2017); we gave it our all, but luck wasn't on our side.
But that's in the past. Now we're here for another opportunity. We need to fight hard and give everything to win it, and I know the other players feel the same way.
The final match is scheduled for Rabat on January 18.
FIFA EXTENDS PRESTIANNI BAN WORLDWIDE; WINGER SET TO MISS WORLD CUP OPENERS
Gianluca Prestianni will miss games against Algeria and Austria if selected by Scaloni. Get the full disciplinary breakdown.
FIFA has extended Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension for homophobic conduct to apply globally, which could sideline him for Argentina’s first two matches at the 2026 World Cup. The winger from Benfica, initially punished after a well-publicised incident with Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, will now have his ban affect not just club matches but international competitive games as well.
The disciplinary move by FIFA follows a request from UEFA, and the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has confirmed the six-match ban will take effect worldwide. According to a FIFA spokesperson, the committee agreed to broaden the suspension’s scope, impacting all levels of competitive play.
This decision carries serious implications for both Benfica and Argentina. What was once a suspension limited to UEFA competitions now bars the 20-year-old from participating in any FIFA competitive events, including the upcoming World Cup in North America.
If Prestianni makes Lionel Scaloni’s final Argentina roster for 2026, he will be forced to sit out the opening group stage games against Algeria and Austria. Despite this setback, he remains eligible for friendlies; he was actually called up earlier this year for matches against Mauritania and Zambia following his November 2025 senior debut.
While the ban totals six matches, half of those come with a two-year probationary clause. After missing a Champions League match against Real Madrid under a provisional suspension, Prestianni still has two active games left to serve. Notably, domestic games with Benfica this season are unaffected, since the worldwide ban targets only competitive international fixtures.
The incident that triggered this whole saga happened on February 17 during a Champions League knockout match at Estadio da Luz. Vinicius Junior accused Prestianni of racial abuse, prompting referee Francois Letexier to pause the game for eight minutes and activate FIFA’s anti-discrimination protocol.
Prestianni has denied these accusations and issued a statement saying he never directed racist insults at Vinicius Junior, suggesting the player misunderstood what was said. He also condemned the threats he received from Real Madrid players in the aftermath.
Despite his denials, UEFA’s investigation concluded that Prestianni engaged in discriminatory, specifically homophobic, conduct, leading to his suspension.
Questions remain about the length of the ban, as UEFA’s rules generally mandate a minimum 10-match suspension for offences against human dignity based on factors like race or sexual orientation. UEFA has not explained why the disciplinary body settled on a shorter six-match penalty.
Looking ahead, Prestianni faces a challenging path to regain standing under scrutiny. Should he violate conduct rules again within the probationary period, the remaining three matches of his ban could be enforced immediately, potentially harming his prospects with both Benfica and the Argentina national team.
GIBBS-WHITE INJURY UPDATE: LATE DECISION FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST’S EUROPA LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
Nottingham Forest are leaving it late to decide if a masked Morgan Gibbs-White can feature against Aston Villa tomorrow.
Nottingham Forest are waiting until the last minute to decide if Morgan Gibbs-White can play in tomorrow’s Europa League semi-final with Aston Villa.
He took a nasty hit in Monday’s win over Chelsea and needed stitches, and now there’s a real question about whether he’ll make it for Thursday’s clash at Villa Park. They’ve even measured him for a protective face mask, just in case he ends up playing.
Head coach Vitor Pereira admitted he hasn’t made up his mind yet, especially since there are other injury worries in the squad. “He’s definitely in pain,” Pereira said, talking about Gibbs-White. “We’ll see if he’s ready by tomorrow.” He explained that the final call will be a group decision between the player, the medical staff, and himself. They haven’t sat down for that last meeting yet, so your guess is as good as his.
When reporters pressed about the mask, Pereira joked, “I think so, but I don’t know the colour! I think he went for the fitting yesterday.”
Pereira’s press conference happened on Wednesday lunchtime, with training scheduled for later. He wasn’t sure if Gibbs-White would even show up at the academy for practice. “I’m waiting to see him at training, and then we’ll decide. It’s not the day to risk anything. One more day might make all the difference.”
He didn’t reveal much about others who’ve been sidelined: Murillo, Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare, and Dan Ndoye. Whoever steps onto the pitch, Pereira wants his team to show the same fighting spirit they’ve had, going unbeaten in their last ten games.
Asked about how late he’ll leave his team selection, Pereira said he’s got backup plans ready. “It’s not just doubts about Morgan. We have several injured players, so I’ll delay naming the team. But, honestly, I have Plan A, B, and C lined up.”
He wrapped up by saying, “We might not know which players will be fit, but there’s no doubt about our spirit or how we want to play. We’re ready to be resilient. We’ll have a meeting today to figure out who’s ready for battle. When it comes to the fight, I’d rather have healthy soldiers. So we’ll see.”
