New Zealand boss Darren Bazeley commented on Mohamed Salah’s exclusion from Egypt’s squad for the upcoming international break.
Egypt will be up against New Zealand on March 22 in what will be Hossam Hassan’s first game in charge of the Pharaohs, while Tunisia will face Croatia.
The Pharaohs have already announced their squad for their March camp and left out Mohamed Salah, who opted to stay at his club to complete his recovery after recently returning from injury.
Just days before their meeting, New Zealand’s Darren Bazeley spoke about Egypt and believes Salah’s absence will hurt the seven-time African champions.
“As a Liverpool fan, Mohamed Salah is considered one of the best players in the world,” Bazeley told ON Time Sports.
“So it was exciting for us to test ourselves against a player of his calibre. He’s been a difference-maker in the Premier League.
“His exclusion from the national team is a huge blow for them, but they still have a relatively strong and they have done well over the last few years.”