Who is the best African player of all time?
And why is there no unanimous answer, Mohamed Salah?
Ask around. The answers to the questions are thought-provoking but tend to produce similar answers.
Didier Drogba is often mentioned. Shoutouts to Yaya Toure and Samuel Eto’o also exist, while shoutouts to the likes of George Weah, Nwankwo Kanu and Roger Milla are duly given away by fans of a particular vintage.
The King of Egypt’s future at Liverpool may be uncertain, but so is his legacy in African football.
Often overlooked in the African Player of the Year awards, Salah’s name tends to sit alongside those of his peers, but Morocco’s victory at AFCON could set him apart as the undisputed king of Africa. He last won the award in 2018 and was not honored this year with PSG’s Achraf Hakimi winning in November.
Football purists may be critical of Salah’s preference for efficiency over aesthetics, but his numbers do not change. Having scored 250 goals for Liverpool, ranks fourth on the Premier League’s all-time goalscoring list and won four of England’s highest-ever Golden Boots, Salah’s reputation on these shores is ironclad.
The European stage also knows Salah. Champions League winner Salah has featured three times in Europe’s premier club competition.
Salah reached the AFCON finals in 2017 and 2021, but lost both times.
No African player has scored more goals in the Champions League than the 33-year-old. But overall, the feeling is that Salah still has something to prove.
Salah has never won an AFCON. His native Egypt are the most successful team in the history of the competition, with seven wins, but Salah can only boast of two final appearances in 2017 and 2021.
In the latter case, Salah lost to then-club teammate Sadio Mane, and Senegal won after a penalty shoot-out.
His tournament in 2023 was cut short due to injury. Salah, who scored in the opening match in Egypt, suffered an injury in the following group stage match and had to return to the club. Egypt eventually lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the quarterfinals in a penalty shootout.
In a scathing response to Salah’s post-match Leeds bombshell interview, Jamie Carragher commented on the Liverpool man’s lack of success in Africa earlier this month.
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Jamie Carragher has spoken out after Salah’s outburst after being placed on the bench again for Liverpool’s draw at Leeds earlier this month.
“One thing I would like to remind Mo Salah and his agent is that before he came to Liverpool, Mo Salah was known as a failure at Chelsea.
“It’s just a fact. He never won a major trophy before coming to Liverpool. He is also the best player his country has ever had. In the African Cup of Nations, Egypt is the most successful nation. Mo Salah has never won AFCON. He was not a big star before he came to Liverpool.”
“You didn’t really win anything in Egypt. What you’re saying is that no matter how good a player you are, you need help from your teammates, coaches and fans.”
No doubt Carragher’s words will give Morocco’s Salah a boost. But is AFCON the gold standard for Africa?
Drogba never won a trophy despite playing for the Golden Generation Ivory Coast team that won the competition a year after his retirement. Weah, the 1995 Ballon d’Or winner, also represented Liberia in 1996 and 2002, but failed to win the title.
Egypt’s population is 20 times larger than Liberia’s. Liberia’s only two AFCON appearances also featured Weah in the team. However, Weah’s reputation remains high.
Salah is the lifeblood of his country. It is his third attempt as captain but fifth overall and it will likely be his last attempt to bring a trophy to Egypt.
Although he is clearly not a favourite, just having Salah in his team improves their chances. Coach Hassan Hassam knows three things about winning the tournament, having competed in it in consecutive years: 1996, 1998 and 2006.
Morocco’s North African climate will feel familiar to Egyptians. A similar climate will help ease the comfort of the 11 players in Egypt’s squad who are yet to appear at AFCON.
The combination of fresh faces and the experience of Salah and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush would be a huge help to the Pharaohs.
It remains to be seen whether they can take on teams like Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Nigeria, who are among the favorites.
The country’s hopes will rest on Salah as he opens the campaign against Zimbabwe in Group B. And so are Salah’s own hopes of becoming Africa’s best player.
