By Comfort Asemota
Egyptian football superstar Mohamed Salah has built an impressive collection of trophies with Liverpool, claiming three domestic titles, the Champions League, the European Super Cup, and the Club World Cup. Yet, one coveted medal still eludes him: an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners’ medal. Salah will have his fifth opportunity to claim it at the 2025 tournament in Morocco, starting this Sunday.
Throughout his AFCON career, Salah has come painfully close to victory on multiple occasions. Twice he reached the final stages, while on two other occasions, Egypt—the continent’s record seven-time champions—was eliminated in the first knockout round.
In 2017, Salah assisted Egypt’s opening goal in the final against Cameroon in Gabon, only for the Indomitable Lions to snatch victory with a late strike. Two years later, hosting the tournament, Egypt were favourites but suffered a shocking last-16 exit to South Africa in Cairo.
Salah and his teammates reached the 2022 final in Cameroon, but after 120 goalless minutes against Senegal, they fell short in the penalty shootout. At last year’s tournament in the Ivory Coast, Salah scored a late penalty to secure a draw against Mozambique in the group stage. However, an injury against Ghana forced him out of the competition, and Egypt lost again in a last-16 penalty shootout, this time to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After four consecutive near-misses, Salah faces mounting questions about whether he will ever lift an AFCON trophy. Yet pessimism is foreign to the 33-year-old forward, nicknamed the “Egyptian King” by Liverpool fans. “I am confident that one day I will be part of an Egyptian team that wins the Africa Cup of Nations,” he has repeatedly told reporters.
Once considered Africa’s dominant force, Egypt now faces stronger competition, and they are only one of several contenders in Morocco. The Pharaohs will open their Group B campaign against Zimbabwe on December 22, followed by potentially tougher matches against South Africa and Angola.
If Egypt advances to the knockout stages, they will need to win four matches to lift the trophy for the first time since defeating Ghana in the 2010 final in Angola. Head coach Hossam Hassan, a former striker and AFCON gold medallist, has multiple attacking options at his disposal, including Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes, and Al Ahly duo Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan and Ahmed ‘Zizo’ El Sayed.
However, Hassan may have concerns over veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, once Africa’s top keeper, whose recent performances have been inconsistent.
Salah arrived in Agadir, the Moroccan coastal city hosting Egypt’s group matches, after a turbulent week regarding his future at Liverpool. Frustrated by being on the bench for three consecutive games, he described feeling “thrown under the bus” following a draw at Leeds United. His relationship with manager Arne Slot appeared strained, amid Liverpool’s struggles in both the Premier League and Champions League.
Amid speculation linking him to the Saudi Pro League in January, Salah returned to action off the bench in a 2-0 win over Brighton. Slot dismissed any issues, emphasizing that Salah, now in the first season of a two-year contract extension, remains a vital part of the squad.
During the Brighton match, Salah set up Liverpool’s second goal for Hugo Ekitike, surpassing Wayne Rooney for the most goal involvements at a single Premier League club with 277. Despite a challenging season in front of goal, Salah hopes the move from Liverpool’s pressures to Morocco’s AFCON stage will help him rediscover his trademark finishing.
