2019 Africa Cup of Nations: Fit and firing Salah carries hopes of hosts Egypt

Ahead of Liverpool's Champions League final victory over Tottenham, Mohamed Salah glanced at a photograph to draw up pain and fuel his already burning desire. 

"I looked at the picture from last year before the game," he said, referring to the Reds' 2018 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev, where a controversial tangle with Sergio Ramos left Salah stricken inside half an hour. I was very disappointed that I got injured and went off and we lost the game. It was something to motivate me to win. I just looked at it one time and said, 'Okay, let's go'."

Moments later, the back-to-back Premier League Golden Boot winner was dispatching an early penalty and sending Liverpool on their way to a sixth triumph in Europe's top competition.

The bad news for Egypt's rivals at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, as Salah looks to add to another history of success, is the same stinging motivation remains.

Still feeling the effects of his shoulder injury, Salah was a shadow of the attacker that ransacked the best defences in Europe at the World Cup in Russia last year. He still scored twice but the Pharaohs bowed out at the group stage after three straight defeats.

Hector Cuper paid with his job and experienced Mexican head coach Javier Aguirre has since led Egypt to six wins and a draw from his eight matches at the helm, with 20 goals in that time.

 

June 18, 2019

A settled and experienced squad featuring the likes of captain Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi and Mohamed Elneny provide a solid foundation for Salah's brilliance, and the tournament hosts are worthy of their favourites' tag as they line up in Group A alongside DR Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe – their opponents in Friday's tournament opener.

Cameroon beat Egypt in the 2017 final but their build-up has not been ideal.

Stripped of the hosting rights, head coach Clarence Seedorf's initial decision to snub China-based players led to Benjamin Moukandjo's international retirement amid an unconvincing qualification campaign. They line up in a tricky Group F with Benin, Guinea-Bissau and fellow heavyweights Ghana.

As such, former Indomitable Lions defender Lauren believes another nation with a strong recent pedigree in the tournament could prove Egypt's toughest obstacle in pursuit of an eighth continental crown.

"Egypt are one of the favourites but I would go for Nigeria," he told Omnisport. "I saw Nigeria in the World Cup, a very young team with a lot of quality and a young squad. We will see them progress and they are one of the favourites together with Egypt, Cameroon and Senegal."

Since being denied a knockout place by Argentina in heart-breaking fashion in Russia, Nigeria have not always found consistency under Gernot Rohr but are the only side to have beaten Egypt during the intervening period.

 

June 15, 2019