The Africa Cup of Nations has once again become a stage of heartbreak for Mohamed Salah, leaving fans wondering if he’ll ever lift the trophy he’s so desperately pursued. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is Salah’s international curse a matter of fate, or is there more to Egypt’s recurring struggles than meets the eye? In a tense 1-0 semi-final defeat to Senegal, Salah’s Liverpool teammate-turned-rival, Sadio Mane, delivered the knockout blow, securing Senegal’s spot in the final. For Salah, this loss feels all too familiar, echoing the 2021 Afcon final and the 2022 World Cup qualifier, where Mane’s penalties dashed Egypt’s dreams.
The match in Tangier was a dull affair, with Mane’s late strike being the lone highlight. Salah, who has dominated club football with Liverpool, winning the Premier League and Champions League, has yet to taste continental glory with Egypt. At 33, time is ticking, and this defeat stings deeply. And this is the part most people miss: Despite his undeniable talent, Egypt’s over-reliance on Salah and Omar Marmoush has become a glaring weakness, with the team often failing to create enough opportunities for their star players.
Salah’s post-match sentiments reveal his desperation: ‘Nobody wants this trophy more than me.’ Yet, after coming close in 2017, 2021, and now 2025, the question lingers: Will he ever achieve this dream? Former players like John Obi Mikel and Hassan Kachloul have weighed in, with Kachloul bluntly stating, ‘He’s running out of time.’
But let’s not forget the bigger picture. Salah’s legacy as Egypt’s greatest is secure, but without an Afcon title, it feels incomplete. Will he follow Riyad Mahrez’s footsteps and call it quits on international tournaments? Or will he chase the elusive trophy in 2027? Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Is Egypt’s failure to win Afcon under Salah’s leadership a reflection of his limitations, or is the team’s strategy fundamentally flawed?
As Salah prepares for the third-place playoff against Nigeria, one thing is clear: his journey with Egypt has been a rollercoaster of near misses and unfulfilled potential. Will this be his last shot at glory, or is there one more chapter left in his Afcon story? Let’s discuss—do you think Salah will ever lift the Afcon trophy, or is it a dream destined to remain out of reach?
