When Mohamed Salah leads out Egypt in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) semi-final against Senegal, he will feel both the weight of expectation from his nation and his own personal pressure to deliver a place in the final.
The North Africans are record seven-time continental champions, but the most recent of those successes came in 2010, a year before the Liverpool forward’s international debut.
The 33-year-old was a losing finalist at the 2017 and 2021 editions – with those defeats sandwiching a last-16 exit in 2019 on home soil – and he was then injured as Egypt suffered an early exit at the 2023 finals.
“Nobody, even in Egypt, wants to win this trophy more than me,” Salah said after helping his team beat the Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
“I have won almost every prize. This is the title I am waiting for.”
The prospect of revenge will also hang heavy in the Tangier air on Wednesday (17:00 GMT) as the Pharaohs captain will come up against former Reds team-mate Sadio Mane, who got the better of Salah on two of their past three international meetings.
With both players aged 33 and Afcon becoming a quadrennial tournament from 2028, this could prove to be Salah’s last chance to bring the trophy back to Cairo after several disappointments.
And, for all his silverware with Liverpool and personal honours, the feeling persists among many across Africa that a player cannot be classed as truly great until they have an Afcon title to their name.
Mane delivers from the spot
It was just under four years ago that Senegal and Egypt met in the final of Afcon 2021 in Cameroon, billed as a showdown between two Anfield stars.
Mane had a seventh-minute penalty saved by Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski, but it was the Teranga Lions who eventually emerged with their first continental title following 120 goalless minutes and a shootout.
Mane returned to score the winning spot kick as Salah was forced to watch on, having been held back to take the potentially decisive fifth penalty himself, but then left unused after Mohamed Abdelmonem hit a post and Mohanad Lasheen saw his effort saved.
The sight of Salah trudging past the plinth at the medal presentation was contrasted with Mane’s description of that February night in Yaounde as “the best day of my life and the best trophy of my life”.
The two nations faced each other again in March that year, in a two-legged play-off for a place at the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
That tie again went the distance after both sides won 1-0 on home soil, and penalties again settled it in Diamniadio.
On that occasion, Salah stepped up first for the North Africans but blazed over the bar, with Mane again scoring the winner in the shootout and sending his side to Qatar.
Salah leading Egypt charge
Salah came into the 2025 Afcon finals under a cloud after saying he felt he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and that his relationship with boss Arne Slot had broken down at the start of December.
A spell out of the side and intense speculation about his future followed, yet his time in Morocco has provided a welcome respite with Salah netting four times in four games – as many goals as he has managed in 14 Premier League outings this season.
His strikes against Zimbabwe, South Africa, and in the quarter-final against the Ivorians were match-winners, while his late effort in the last-16 meeting with Benin ensured Egypt’s progress in extra time.
Salah now has a total of 11 goals at the Afcon finals – level with national coach Hossam Hassan and one behind Egypt’s record holder Hassan El-Shazly.
He is supported by Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, who has two goals at these finals, while Trezeguet, the side’s top scorer in qualifying, and Mostafa Mohamed also provide a goal threat for the Pharaohs.
Mane is Senegal’s ‘inspiration’
Mane, meanwhile, has started all five of Senegal’s games, scoring once to claim a draw against DR Congo in Group D and providing three assists.
“You can see him leading chance creation for Senegal at this Afcon, with a high involvement in build-up and key plays,” BBC Afrique journalist Babacar Faye said.
“His role is an inspiration for his teammates. Beyond his on-field skills, his leadership is vital to the team as he helps everyone maintain focus.”
The Teranga Lions are not overly reliant on the Al Nassr man, given they possess a wealth of attacking options.
The trickery of Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr in wide positions is complemented by either Habib Diallo or Nicolas Jackson leading the line.
The world has also seen a glimpse of the next potential Senegal star in the shape of Ibrahim Mbaye’s cameos from the bench, with coach Pape Thiaw describing the 17-year-old as “a gem” whom the West Africans need to “nurture”.
The forward’s directness helped set up Mane’s strike against the Congolese, while he also won a penalty against Botswana before netting against Sudan in the last 16.
Experience is crucial too, with the spine of keeper Edouard Mendy, captain Kalidou Koulibaly, midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye and Sarr all survivors from the 2021 final alongside Mane.
Trophies amid tension at Anfield
Although they spent five seasons as teammates at Liverpool, on occasions, there was tension on the pitch between Salah and Mane before the latter departed to Bayern Munich in 2022.
While they lifted the Champions League and Premier League trophies together, Salah outscored Mane by 118 goals to 77 in the top flight during that time.
“I think Mo is a very nice guy. Though inside the pitch, sometimes he would pass to me and sometimes he wouldn’t,” Mane said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
“Only Bobby (Firmino) was there to share the balls. Sometimes it was like this.
“I still remember one game when I was really, really angry because he (Salah) doesn’t pass me the ball.”
Mane only lasted one season in Germany before moving to the Saudi Pro League, and Salah has himself been heavily linked with a switch to the Gulf nation.
Liverpool rejected a £150m bid from Al-Ittihad back in September 2023, and it was only four days after Salah’s stunning outburst last month that Saudi Pro League chief executive Omar Mugharbel said the Pharaohs skipper is a target for its clubs.
Hassan says the success of both Mane and Salah should make Africans proud, but the man dubbed the ‘Egyptian King’ will step out at the Grand Stade d’Tangier eager to take another step towards securing the one title his former club-mate treasures above all.
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