The closing moments in Tangier brought no visible emotion from Mohamed Salah. As Egypt exited the Africa Cup of Nations at the semi-final stage, the forward offered only a faint grin that masked another painful end to the campaign.
The closing moments in Tangier brought no visible emotion from Mohamed Salah. As Egypt exited the Africa Cup of Nations at the semi-final stage, the forward offered only a faint grin that masked another painful end to the campaign.
Once more, Egypt’s journey was halted by Senegal and Sadio Mane, a familiar rival from Salah’s Liverpool past. Despite the outcome, the tournament underlined his influence, with the 33-year-old netting four times across five starts while driving his side into the last four.
Following the quarter-final triumph over Ivory Coast, Salah spoke warmly about the atmosphere within the squad, calling it the finest environment he had experienced. He highlighted unity, strong bonds away from the pitch, and a collective commitment to hard work.
Egypt still has a third-place match against Nigeria in Casablanca, after which Salah will head back to England. The sense of unfinished business remains strong, with AFCON again slipping from his grasp.
Salah’s club situation has been unsettled in recent months. His last start for Liverpool came on 26 November in a heavy Champions League defeat to PSV, after which he fell out of the starting lineup under Arne Slot.
Since then, Liverpool has gone 11 matches without defeat, although performances have drawn criticism. Slot himself acknowledged that the team’s football had not always been entertaining during that run.
Tension peaked following a post-match interview in Leeds, where Salah accused the club of scapegoating him after three consecutive benchings and suggested his relationship with Slot had fractured. Although omitted for the trip to Inter Milan, he avoided disciplinary action and returned against Brighton, providing an assist after coming on early due to injury.
The Anfield crowd welcomed him warmly, and Salah later apologised to his teammates, according to Curtis Jones. Slot maintained that there was nothing left to resolve, drawing a line under the episode.
FIFA regulations mean Salah will miss Liverpool’s upcoming fixture against Burnley, as Egypt’s AFCON commitments extend into the weekend. His return to the squad is expected for the Champions League visit to Marseille next week.
Liverpool’s injury problems could accelerate his reintegration. Alexander Isak is sidelined until at least March, while Conor Bradley will miss the remainder of the season. With Jeremie Frimpong likely to fill in at right-back, Salah could resume duties on the right wing, though alternative roles remain possible.
Slot has stressed that Salah will need to compete for his place like everyone else. While he may feature across the front line, Hugo Ekitike is currently preferred through the middle.
Looking further ahead, Salah has openly stated that the AFCON trophy remains the one major honour missing from his career. Another opportunity could come in 2027, when the tournament is hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, though he would be 35 by then and nearing the end of his current contract.
For now, expectations are that he will stay at Liverpool at least until the summer, when he is set to captain Egypt at the World Cup. Beyond that, his desire for regular football and the example of Mane’s success in Saudi Arabia suggest that a move elsewhere cannot be ruled out.
