The Egyptian footballing great is on a continuing quest to win one piece of silverware missing in a stellar career.
In the 45th minute of Ghana’s game with Egypt – that ended in a 2-2 draw – on Thursday at the Africa Cup of Nations, Mohamed Salah was substituted. His exit came after a suspected hamstring injury, dealing what could be a tough blow to the star forward and his country’s chances at the tournament.
For all that the Egyptian has achieved in his illustrious career, there has been much ado about what is missing.
The Liverpool star is one of the world’s best players and has enjoyed a gilded time at Merseyside, winning every trophy on offer with the Reds since joining from Italian side Roma in 2017. There have been individual honours as well, most notably back-to-back CAF Player of the Year nods in 2018 and 2019, and he is the top African scorer in the history of English football, with 153 goals.
What is conspicuous by its absence, however, is an international trophy with Egypt.
Following the Pharaohs’ disappointing 2-2 draws against Mozambique and Ghana in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group games so far, questions have once again arisen about Salah’s ability to deliver continental success for the team.
Given his haul of accomplishments in his career, Salah’s iconic standing is beyond question in Egypt.
“There is no doubt that Mohamed Salah’s a legend,” says Marwan Ahmed, an Egyptian football expert with online publication KingFut. “No player from the nation has achieved what he has in world football so obviously he is the pride of the nation.”
That said, silverware with the national team carries a special significance in the minds of Egyptians and Africans in general. “At the end of the day, an African player will always aspire to claim the most prestigious title in the continent,” digital marketer and Pharaohs fan Nour Alaa Abdelkader says. “I think that’s the missing piece in Salah’s puzzle.”
Egypt are AFCON royalty, having recorded seven wins in their history, more than any other nation in Africa. The most recent – in 2010 – was the culmination of a mythical three-peat, forever inscribing such names as Essam El Hadary, Ahmed Hassan, Wael Goma and Mohamed Aboutrika into the country’s folklore.
It is not quite the 37-year wait Egypt had to endure between their second and third titles. However, in the ensuing 14 years since their last win, the Pharaohs have only mustered two final appearances, losing against Cameroon and Senegal in 2017 and 2021 respectively.
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