Mohamed Salah’s AFCON obsession is the primary topic of conversation at the start of this week, and the Egypt striker is redirecting the media coverage of club stress onto a well-known continental front. The Liverpool striker is going to Morocco to find a new life after having a bad season that was characterized by inconsistent performances, or more so, a fallout with his coach.
The tournament means a lot to Salah, who is making his fifth appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt yet to get an elusive personal goal. Although he has won all the major club honors, he has lost the continental title twice in finals, meaning the pressure is squarely on his shoulders.
The story of Mohamed Salah AFCON is enhanced by Egyptian history, with the Pharaohs coming in as champions with the most titles seven titles. Being in Group B with South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, Egypt has a hard road to follow and is not allowed to make many mistakes early.
Head coach Hugo Broos told reporters that it would be extremely dangerous to refer to his team as the leading contender, as competition is stronger than ever. BBC Sport and Reuters have extensively covered the comments made by Broos, further illustrating the caution people should exercise over the ambitions of South Africa.
His team, who are reigning bronze medallists at the last AFCON, have been praised because of the organisation and discipline, and not the power of the stars. The focus on the continent has shifted to the hosts, too, with Morocco being mostly declared as the team to reckon with.
Ivory Coast, champions of all the previous four times, are also squarely in the discussion, along with Senegal and Nigeria, which have drawn good evaluations as per the pre-tournament ratings. This level of rivalry is the reason why coaches and players are managing such expectations cautiously. In the case of Salah, the next few weeks will be another form of defining chapter on the international front. His reaction at this stage will be what the campaign in Egypt is all about, and possibly eventually, what will bring this years-long pursuit to a continental fruition.
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