Q&A with Saladin Said

Ethiopia striker Saladin Said of Egyptian side Wadi Degla announced his arrival at the 2013 Africa Nations Cup with an inspiring display against Zambia and turned a few heads in his direction.

MTN Football.com caught up with the promising 24-year-old striker in Nelspruit this week to find out a little more about the man and his game.

MTNFootball: How are you enjoying your first AFCON experience so far?

Saladin Said: I am very happy because this is my story too. To play for my country at this level brings me a lot of joy and happiness. It is wonderful to be here. We did our best on the first day against Zambia and I hope to continue enjoying this experience.

How do you hope to build from the flying start against Zambia whom you drew 1-1 with just 10 men?

We think highly of Zambia because they are AFCON champions plus we respect every team equally at this level. We feel like debutants after a long time away, but in the earlier days as founders of CAF we were at the level of the regular AFCON competitors. We feel we can do more here. Read more