With the Africa Cup of Nations underway and including international superstars such as Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, and Edouard Mendy, Cameroon is guaranteed to be a thrilling and exciting place to be. The star of the show, however, is without a doubt Mohamed Salah.
But it has not been a rosy ride for him as he and the Pharoahs of Egypt were outclassed by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the AFCON 2021 opening match on Tuesday this week.
Salah’s Incredible Stats
Salah presently has 16 Premier League goals, six more than his next rival, while only Sebastian Haller and Robert Lewandowski have more Champions League goals.
This season, the Egyptian has 9 assists in the Premier League, tied for first with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, and he has scored 20 or more goals in each of the last five seasons.
Salah is Liverpool’s star player, but his importance to his country is much greater.
Shima Saber, an Egyptian television presenter, told Football Now, “He’s absolutely a one-of-a-kind instance. He’s one of ours. He is an excellent role model who has worked hard to achieve his objectives. We are ecstatic to have someone like you as a role model. He is a role model for all young boys.”
Should Mo Salah be regarded as Africa’s best footballer of all time? In the run-up to the continent’s greatest competition, that subject is being debated since the tournament began.
Football in Africa
The sport first appeared in Africa in the late 1800s. Sudan, Egypt, South Africa, and Ethiopia created the Confederation of African Football, or CAF, little under 100 years later.
The African Cup of Nations event was held for the first time in this year.According to a Sportsmarkt poll from 2011, 72 percent of individuals on the continent are interested in football.
According to David Goldblatt’s book The Age of Football: The Global Game in the Twenty-First Century, the Premier League is watched by 300 million people on a regular basis.
Which players should be considered the best of all time?
Salah is in good company when it comes to African players. George Weah, a high achiever both on and off the field, is another outstanding possibility.
He is now the president of Liberia, in addition to winning the Ballon d’Or. When Roger Milla, then 38, led Cameroon to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1990, he showed the world the incredible talent available in Africa.
Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o have a combined total of 600 goals and have won numerous league titles as well as Europe’s most prestigious competition, the Champions League.
Fiso Mazibuko, a South African broadcaster, believes Samuel Eto’o may lay claim to becoming Africa’s best footballer. He explained to Football Now, “I don’t believe there was a player in my generation who embodied African brilliance on the football field like Samuel Eto’o.
He is the all-time leading scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations. He’s also won it twice, so he is someone who has done it both on the international and club levels.”
Former Premier League defender Chris Samba, on the other hand, believes Mohamed Salah has earned his position in the conversation for best African player of all time, but that it is just too early to call at 29 years old.
“He’s in his peak right now, but I believe we’ll have to wait until the conclusion of his career to judge him. Of course, I believe he will be there, but there is still time for him to add to his collection of trophies and other honors.”
Mohamed Salah will, of course, have another chance to add to his trophy cabinet in the coming weeks as his Egyptian team competes in Cameroon for silverware. And, given that 2022 is a World Cup year, it’s possible that the Liverpool attacker will take a major step toward establishing himself as Africa’s greatest footballer of all time.
