Mohamed Salah has joined up with the Egypt national team ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, with boss Hossam Hassan speaking out on the Liverpool star amid uncertainty over his future.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan claims Mohamed Salah always comes back to Liverpool in strong form following spells with his country, whilst rubbishing suggestions of any “crisis” surrounding the superstar. This comes as the forward has linked up with his compatriots for their Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Just weeks earlier, Salah delivered a shocking interview to journalists where he suggested the club had made him the scapegoat for their poor form, following his omission from three consecutive matches. Questions also lingered over whether he’d feature for Liverpool again post-AFCON, with Arne Slot unsure about the circumstances, with the January transfer window just around the corner.
With Salah now assembled with the Egypt squad, Hassan shared his perspective on the forward with reporters, as he said: “Whenever Salah’s performances dip with his club, he regains his strength with the national team and becomes even better, whether by contributing goals or scoring himself. Then he returns to his club even stronger.
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“Salah’s morale in training is very high, as if he were just starting out with the national team, and I believe he will have a great tournament with his country I feel his motivation is very, very strong. Salah is an icon and will remain so. He is one of the best players in the world, and I support him in everything he does.
“I don’t consider what happened to him to be a crisis. These things often happen between players and coaches.
“We’ve been in contact with him by phone from the beginning, and I met with him when he joined the national team camp. His focus is entirely on the tournament.”
The notion that Salah comes back revitalised after representing his country could be replicated this when he re-joins Liverpool following his international commitments. The striker begins his AFCON campaign with Egypt on Monday evening – 8pm GMT – facing Zimbabwe, though it’s unclear whether he’ll be named in the starting XI from the off.
The 33-year-old might sense he has a point to make in the competition, having come tantalisingly close to claiming the top prize previously. His drive could be amplified following Jamie Carragher’s harsh critique of the Liverpool star on Sky Sports after his interview.
Speaking at the time, the former player-turned-pundit said: “One thing I just want to sort of remind Mo Salah and maybe his agent is that before he came to Liverpool, Mo Salah was known as the guy who failed at Chelsea.
“That’s just a fact. He’d never won a major trophy before he came to Liverpool. He’s also the greatest player his country have ever had. Egypt, in the Africa Cup of Nations, are the most successful nation. He’s going there in a couple of weeks. Mo Salah’s never won the AFCON.
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“That is not me trying to put Mo Salah down as a player. I’ve just said he’s one of the best players in the world in the last eight years, very few better. But what it tells Mo Salah and his agent is, it’s not about an individual.
“You weren’t a big star before you came to Liverpool. You haven’t really won anything with Egypt. All that’s telling you is, no matter how good a player you are, you need help from your team-mates, your manager and fans.”
Now, Salah has a chance to prove himself with Egypt, potentially having the final word over Carragher, given their recent spats. The coming weeks will reveal if he can pull it off, starting with the match against Zimbabwe, followed by group games against South Africa and Angola.
