Will the “Pharaoh” Break the Curse of the Africa Cup?
Mohamed Salah’s career with Liverpool was rife with trophies, but the same can’t be said for his experiences with the Egyptian national team. Despite his setbacks, Salah remains determined in his pursuit of glory with the “Pharaohs,” aspiring to guide them to an eighth star in the upcoming African Cup of Nations which kicks off this Saturday in Ivory Coast.
Salah won almost everything with Liverpool. Nevertheless, things took a different turn with the Egyptian national squad. Worse than that, the two-time African Player of the Year (2017 and 2018) tasted bitter defeat in the African Cup of Nations finals twice (2017 and 2022) and the 2022 World Cup playoffs.
Salah’s initial setback unfolded in 2017 during the tournament hosted by Gabon. The “Pharaohs” seemed destined for their eighth title, leading 1-0 against Cameroon in the final with a goal by Mohamed Elneny, and orchestrated by Salah. However, the Cameroonian team recovered, overturning the score to a 2-1 victory.
The subsequent year, as Salah geared up for his historic third World Cup appearance with Egypt (following 1934 and 1990), he suffered a cruel shoulder injury, caused by the then Spanish Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, 30 minutes after the start of the Champions League final match, which ended in a 1-3 loss for Liverpool.
This setback caused Salah to miss Egypt’s opening World Cup match against Uruguay, resulting in a 0-1 defeat for his country.
Despite efforts by the technical and medical staff to expedite his recovery, Salah returned for the next two matches under less-than-ideal conditions. Although he netted two goals in the tournament, Egypt suffered defeats against Russia (1-3) and Saudi Arabia (1-2).
Despite holding a record of seven African Championship titles, Egypt has yet to secure a victory in any of its World Cup matches.
Salah’s fortunes took a positive turn in 2019 when Liverpool clinched the Champions League title against Tottenham (2-0). The Egyptian star opened the scoring from a penalty kick in the second minute. That year, Egypt hosted the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
It was known that Egypt has a great record when they host the continental finals, having won three times out of four in 1959, 1986 and 2006 (they were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 1974 edition).
But after completing the first round in the best possible way through three victories, including two goals by Salah, the Pharaohs endured a shocking 0-1 loss to South Africa in the round of 16.
In early 2022, in the edition hosted by Cameroon, everyone thought that Salah was close to breaking his curse in the “African Continent.” He led his country to the final again after defeating Cameroon 3-1 on penalties after the original and extra time ended in a goalless draw.
However, the former Roma and Basel team star stumbled again, a few meters away from the title, after losing to Senegal in the final 4-2 on penalties. Salah, unable to convert his kick, witnessed his Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane lift the continental cup.
Salah’s anguish continued as Senegal denied Egypt a spot in the 2022 World Cup, triumphing 3-1 on penalties after both legs ended in a 1-0 victory (similar to the first-leg result that Egypt won). In a cruel twist of fate, Salah missed his kick once again.
Absent from Liverpool’s campaign during the African Cup in the Premier League, Salah aims to secure his first continental title and solidify his legacy as a historical achiever in the continent. All eyes will be on Salah’s quest for success, a storyline eagerly anticipated in football circles.
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