Again, it’s Mané. And again, Salah’s AFCON dream is on pause

By: Akinde S. Oluwaseun

Liverpool might be learning to cope without Mohamed Salah. Or at least trying. Arne Slot says the team looks fine. Stronger, even. But the goals say otherwise. And Salah? He’s miles away. In Morocco. Chasing something he doesn’t yet have.

Everything else, yes. League titles. European nights. Records. This one, though, keeps slipping away.

“I’ve won almost every honour,” Salah said over the weekend. “But this is the one I’m waiting for.” No drama. No hiding it. “I’ve achieved everything except this title.”

Twice, he thought it was coming. Twice, it didn’t. Cameroon in 2017. Then four years ago, another final. Another long walk back. So when he talks about carrying the weight for “a while”, he’s understating it. By a lot.

Now he’s closer. Very close. One decisive goal against Ivory Coast in a wild 3–2 quarter-final win, and suddenly the dream is just two games away. Two nights. Two chances.

And then there’s the familiar problem. Sadio Mané. Again.

Different shirt now. Same obstacle. Mané has always been there, hovering somewhere between rival and teammate. Even at Liverpool, it never quite felt easy. People noticed. Salah noticed. Mané did too. In his book, he even wondered if it all traced back to the old Egypt–Senegal rivalry. History, maybe. Or just football egos.

They barely crossed paths internationally before Anfield brought them together. But 2022 changed everything. AFCON final. World Cup play-off. Three huge clashes in eight weeks. Mané smiling at the end. Salah not so much. Not that Mané enjoyed it. He didn’t. He consoled Salah after the final penalty in Cameroon. A quiet moment. Cameras caught it.

Still, the story keeps repeating. Salah reaches. Mané blocks.

Now it’s happening again. AFCON. Big stage. Old rivals. And Salah, once more, standing one step from glory — with Mané right in front of him.