Salah to miss showdown vs. Son in Seoul friendly next week

All News 10:33 June 11, 2022

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- A highly anticipated showdown between Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah, the Premier League's joint top goal scorers, will not materialize in Seoul after all.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced Saturday that Salah, the Egyptian star for Liverpool, will not travel to South Korea next Tuesday for a friendly match against South Korea due to an unspecified injury. The KFA said it had received word from its Egyptian counterpart earlier Saturday.

In this Reuters file photo from May 22, 2022, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool hoists the Golden Boot award after sharing the goal-scoring lead in the Premier League with Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, following Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield in Liverpool, England. (Yonhap)

Salah won't get to face the South Korean captain Son, who shared the Golden Boot this past season with Salah by scoring 23 goals for Tottenham Hotspur.

The two have never faced each other internationally.

Salah had also sat out Egypt's stunning 2-0 loss to lowly Ethiopia on Thursday in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying.

South Korea will host Egypt at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Tuesday for their fourth and final friendly match of June, all scheduled in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. This will be the two countries' 18th meeting, and first since 2005.

South Korea lost to Brazil 5-1 on June 2 and then beat Chile 2-0 four days later. They battled back for a 2-2 draw against Paraguay on Friday after conceding two goals first.

Son has scored in each of the past two matches, both on free kicks.