CAIRO: The mayor of Mohamed Salah’s home town in Egypt has insisted social distancing was observed at a family wedding the Liverpool forward attended before he tested positive for COVID-19.
The two-time African footballer of the year has been in isolation in Egypt since Friday following the test that was carried out when he joined up with his international teammates.
Salah had attended his brother Nasr’s wedding in the town of Nagrig and photographs show him dancing with a mask pushed onto his chin at one point.
The mayor of Nagrig, Maher Shtiyah, told Egyptian media that the number of guests at the ceremony had been limited to between 60 and 70 people and only relatives attended.
“There was social distancing,” the mayor said. “Salah removed his mask only while taking photos. Even when we embraced him, we kissed him on his shoulder, not his face.”
Mahmoud Trezeguet of Premier League side Aston Villa, an international teammate of Salah’s, was also at the wedding.
Salah had also attended a ceremony organized by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) in Cairo to celebrate his achievement of being the first Egyptian to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
The interim president of the EFA, Amr El-Ganainy, told MBC Egypt TV on Friday: “He appeared in the ceremony for no more than five minutes, entered a corridor alone, respecting social distancing and wearing a mask.
“He received the award himself ... according to Liverpool’s requirements.”
The EFA said a second test had confirmed Salah had coronavirus and he was in isolation in the team’s hotel but was not showing any symptoms.
Team doctors are in contact with Liverpool’s medical team. He is not showing any symptoms of coronavirus. Salah was to miss Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo on Saturday.
He could miss Liverpool’s next two matches, depriving the champions of a player who has scored eight times in eight league Premier League games this season.
