Salah fires warning to Arsenal and Real Madrid with brace for Egypt against Comoros

Egypt and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has sent a stern warning to Arsenal and Real Madrid with two goals against Comoros.

The two-time African Player of the Year found the net twice in the first half as the Pharaohs silenced Les Coelacantes 4-0 in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

With both teams already through to Cameroon 2022, they took to the Cairo International Stadium for national pride as well as to determine the winners of Group G.

Fuelled by the barrage of criticism that greeted their lacklustre 1-1 draw in Kenya on Thursday, Hossam El Badry’s men produced some fine attacking play to down the Afcon debutants.

Fifteen minutes into the encounter, Mohamed Elneny put his side ahead after the Arsenal midfielder collected a pass from Mohamed Magdy at the edge of the box, and rolled a beauty past a stranded goalkeeper Ali Ahamada.

Two minutes later, Magdy turned provider for Al Ahly’s Mohamed Sherif who gave Egypt a two-goal advantage.

In a goal-laden opening 45 minutes, Salah made it three for the North Africans in the 21st minute after drilling a left-footed shot past Ahamada courtesy of Sherif’s pass.

Four minutes later, he completed his brace. This time, it was Magdy who supplied the assist as Salah slotted the ball home after rounding the goalkeeper.

Thanks to his efforts against Amir Abdou, he is now Egypt’s second-highest goalscorer of all time. With 43 goals from 69 games, he surpasses Hassan El Shazly's tally of 42 for the national team.

Nonetheless, he is 25 shy of Hossam Hassan’s 68 goals – a feat achieved in 176 outings between 1985-2006.

Egypt, as a result of this victory, finished as Group G winners with 12 points from six games, while Comoros are runners-up with nine.

Salah would be hoping to reproduce this form when he leads the attack of Jurgen Klopp’s side in their Premier League encounter with Arsenal on Saturday, April 3 at the Emirates Stadium.

The reigning English kings are seventh on the log after accruing 46 points from 29 matches in the 2020-21 campaign.

Three days after taking on the Gunners, they travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid – a game where the Egypt international is likely to be one of the key protagonists.