Egypt forward Mohamed Salah missed training with cold on Friday, two days before the Africa Cup of Nations hosts meet South Africa in a round-of-16 tie.
The Egyptian Football Association said in a statement on Twitter that coach Javier Aguirre had ordered Salah not to train “so as not to worsen his condition” without giving further details.
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Salah, who scored two goals in three games during the group stage, is one of the biggest names in the tournament and an icon in his homeland.
His absence would be a significant blow for the seven times champions, who have been criticised at home for their performances in the group stage in spite of winning all three games without conceding a goal.
Many Egyptians feel that the current team is a shadow of the side which won three successive tournaments between 2006 and 2010. (NAN)