Mohamed Salah, adorned with success at Liverpool, faces a curse while wearing the Egyptian national team jersey, accumulating disappointments. Despite his team’s draw against Mozambique (2-2) last Sunday, the Pharaoh does not give up on his dream of winning an Africa Cup.
In the club, he has won it all, but in the national team, it’s a void. In 2017 and 2018, named African Player of the Year, he suffered two defeats in the AFCON final (2017 and 2022), was eliminated in the World Cup 2022 qualifiers, and played injured in his only World Cup participation in 2018. Mohamed Salah’s curse began in the 2017 AFCON in Gabon.
Mohamed Salah, the unlucky one
As Egypt was on its way to an eighth title, leading 1-0 against Cameroon with a goal from Mohamed Elneny assisted by Salah, the Indomitable Lions reversed the tide in the second half (2-1), taking revenge after two lost finals against the same opponent (1986 and 2008).
The following year, as he prepared for his first World Cup, and only Egypt’s third after 1934 and 1990, Salah was injured by Sergio Ramos after 30 minutes in the 2018 Champions League final, lost by Liverpool to Real Madrid (3-1). Despite his absence in the first match in Russia, lost to Uruguay (1-0), the coaching staff’s efforts to get the idol back on his feet were in vain. He played the next two matches but was too diminished. Although he scored both of his team’s goals, it couldn’t prevent two more defeats against Russia (3-1) and Saudi Arabia (2-1). Egypt, the record holder for AFCON victories (7), still hasn’t won a single match in the World Cup.
The year 2019 seemed to be the right one. Salah’s “Reds” finally won the Champions League, beating Tottenham 2-0, with Salah scoring in the second minute from a penalty. Additionally, Egypt hosted the AFCON, a competition it had won three out of four times when hosting in 1959, 1986, and 2006 (semi-finalist in 1974). Despite a perfect group stage with three victories and two goals from Salah, the Pharaohs were humiliated in the round of 16 by South Africa (1-0).
Final failure for Mohamed Salah
In 2022, in Cameroon, for the postponed edition of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt’s main talent seemed poised to break the curse. He led his team to another final, scoring two goals and converting a penalty in the semi-final against the old Cameroonian rival (0-0, 3-1 on penalties).
However, Mohamed Salah faced the ultimate obstacle again, losing to Senegal (0-0, 4-2 on penalties). He experienced bitterness until the end, as the last shooter, he couldn’t even take his penalty, allowing Sadio Mané, his Liverpool teammate, to become the hero of his country by converting the last penalty.
To worsen the curse looming over him in the national team, the captain failed again against the same Senegal in the World Cup playoffs in Qatar (1-0/0-1, 3-1 on penalties). This time, he also missed his penalty…
Salah, who will be absent from several matches with the Reds, including a round of the Cup against Arsenal and potentially a major Premier League clash against the same Gunners if Egypt progresses, is back to work. “We will play every match like a final,” he assures. It is imperative not to lose them this time, especially since the pressure is already intense, Thursday at 9 PM, against Ghana, following Egypt’s draw in their first match (2-2) against Mozambique.
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