The Pharaohs of Egypt have received a significant blow to their record title charge at the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as one of their star players has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament.
The Egyptian Football Association has confirmed that Ahmed Hegazi will have no further part of the 20221 AFCON after rupturing the tendon of his adductor muscle.
The 31-year-old defender picked up this injury during their quarterfinal win against Morocco at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaounde.
Ahead of their semi-final clash against the host nation Cameroon on Thursday, Hegazi’s injury would come as a big setback for the Pharaohs.
A tweet by the EFA read, “The x-rays conducted by Ahmed Hegazy, the national team player, showed that his injury is a rupture of the connective muscle tendons that requires treatment in a specialised centre, which means that he is unable to complete the tournament that ends on Sunday.”