Mohamed Salah continues his bid to ultimately lead Egypt to glory at the Africa Cup of Nations – and the Liverpool ace will face former teammate and nemesis Sadio Mane in the last four
Mo Salah has been beaten repeatedly by Sadio Mane on the international stage (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
If those closest to Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are to be believed, they would say they were “never best friends” and it was rare to see them speaking.
Roberto Firmino formed the third part of Liverpool’s formidable forward trio and was often an unremarkable member of the headliners when Mane and Salah were on their way to glory. Both players have claimed the Premier League’s Golden Boot, but the battle for continental glory continues, with both players having to work together.
The enthusiasm will be reignited this Wednesday when Egypt take on Senegal once again in the African Cup of Nations. Mane could enjoy bragging rights on the international stage. While their club achievements have always been shared, their international careers have been contrasting.
And perhaps that rivalry, which was only ignited when they wore their national colors, is why they could never shake off the fact that they were against each other.
Firmino wrote in his autobiography, “Si Señor”: “I knew these guys better than anyone else. They were peace builders and unifiers.The two were rarely seen speaking, but they never severed their ties and always acted with the utmost professionalism.”
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That doesn’t mean tensions didn’t boil over. Salah has always been believed to have the unselfish personality needed in an elite forward. Perhaps Mane’s greatest quality was missing, his work rate was on par with his individual talent. And while that difference in approach made them elite, it also caused conflict.
In the famous outburst at Turf Moor, Salah canceled out Mane’s shot without passing the ball, but the Senegalese star did not allow it. When he was substituted, he lashed out on the bench, presumably telling manager Jurgen Klopp how he felt, but his outburst was undoubtedly due to the selfishness of his teammates.
The relationship between Sadio Mane and Mo Salah has not been without flashpoints (Image: Paul Currie/BPI/REX)
However, although Salah has far more goals than Mane, the forward could still leave a legacy of success for his country. Salah doesn’t have it yet. It will be Mane’s sixth AFCON appearance and Salah’s fifth, with the 33-year-old pair having each appeared in two finals in that time. The two met five years ago.
In a match billed simply as Mane vs. Salah, the former had a penalty saved in normal time, but responded by converting Senegal’s final spot-kick in the penalty shootout to give his country their first AFCON success.
Just a month later, lightning would strike twice as Salah missed a spot-kick in a two-legged World Cup qualifier. Mane will once again score the decisive penalty, scoring the goal that sends Senegal to Qatar, while Salah will be watching the tournament from afar.
Liverpool’s ace narrowly missed out against Senegal five years ago (Image: Getty Images)
The fire burns brightly inside. Egypt have won a record seven times as African champions, but never during the Salah era. And he made it clear how much he wanted to cross the line.
“No one wants this title more than me,” Salah said after Egypt’s 3-2 win over Ivory Coast on Saturday to advance to the last four. “Thankfully I’ve won all the other titles, but it doesn’t help. I’ve been carrying the pressure for a long time.”
During his time at Liverpool, he banished the demons of the league title and ended 30 years of suffering. He helped end Jurgen Klopp’s demons, scoring the opening goal in the Champions League final and ending the Germans’ six-game losing streak in finals.
Now he has to deal with his own demons. Mane is a hurdle that Salah has yet to overcome, although this may just be the finals awaited by Nigeria or Morocco.
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