AFCON 2025: Mohamed Salah's Egypt legacy, Arne Slot fallout and Saudi transfer speculation

When Egypt won the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations to secure a seventh title, fans did not expect it to be their last for many years.

Since that three-peat, the Pharaohs have known nothing but disappointment at the Cup of Nations, losing to Cameroon in 2017 despite scoring first through Mohamed Elneny and not making the most of Gabaski's heroics in initially denying Sadio Mane in the final of the 2021 edition, ultimately falling on penalties.

As a result, Egypt head into AFCON 2023 with a singular objective: to reassert their continental dominance and secure a record-extending eighth title.

Central to these ambitions is Mohamed Salah, the undisputed talisman and captain who has twice come agonisingly close to lifting the trophy.

Now 33, Salah knows that this tournament — his fifth AFCON and third as captain — represents perhaps his final opportunity to conquer Africa and fill the one glaring void in his legendary trophy cabinet.

Here, Sports Mole examines the forward's difficulties at Liverpool this season, Egypt's ambition to end their continental drought and what success could mean for Salah's legacy in African football.

Salah's Liverpool form and recent controversy

The current campaign has been uncharacteristically turbulent for Salah at Anfield, with his output showing a noticeable decline compared to the heights of previous years.

Salah has managed just five goals in 20 appearances across all competitions so far in the 2025-26 season, a stark contrast to his sensational 2024-25 form, where he netted 34 goals in 52 outings and claimed his third PFA Player of the Year award.

According to Fbref, Salah is shooting less, is attempting more shots from farther out this term compared to last season and is touching the ball significantly less in the penalty area in 2025-26 (6.79) compared to previous seasons on Merseyside — 9.49, 8.55, 8.22, 9.80, 8.04, 9.09, 7.53 and 7.52 in 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18, respectively.

This dip in efficiency has coincided with a period of significant friction under head coach Arne Slot.

Tensions reached a boiling point earlier this month when Salah was benched for three consecutive Premier League fixtures, including a 3-3 draw against Leeds United.

The forward subsequently sparked a media firestorm by claiming he was being singled out by the club, leading to his temporary exclusion from the squad for a crucial Champions League clash with Inter Milan.

While Slot has since insisted that the club has moved on and Salah has reportedly apologised to his teammates, the cloud of controversy continues to loom over his departure for international duty.

Salah's possible transfer away from Liverpool

Despite signing a contract extension in April 2025 that was intended to keep him at the club until 2027, Salah's short-term future on Merseyside is now more uncertain than ever.

The recent breakdown in his relationship with Slot has reignited speculation regarding a move to the Saudi Pro League, with Al Hilal and Al Ittihad both reportedly monitoring the situation ahead of the January transfer window.

Observers have noted that Salah’s recent comments — hinting that he did not know what would happen after AFCON — sounded suspiciously like a farewell to the Anfield faithful.

If a substantial offer arrives from the Middle East, Liverpool may be tempted to cash in on an ageing star who appears increasingly at odds with the current tactical regime, potentially resulting in his final big-money move.

Salah's Egypt ambition

For Salah, the Africa Cup of Nations is not merely another tournament; it is a personal crusade.

The forward, who enters his fifth appearance at the continental showpiece and third as captain after 2021 and 2023, has often stated that winning a trophy for his country would mean more than any individual or club accolade; however, the accomplished superstar has endured nothing but clinical disappointment on the continental stage.

The 2017 loss in Libreville and the 2021 heartbreak in Yaounde have left a mark on a player who has won everything else the club game has to offer.

With Egypt placed in Group B alongside Zimbabwe, South Africa and Angola, the pressure on Salah to lead from the front is immense.

Even though he may arrive in Morocco feeling demoralised by his club situation, history suggests that the national team shirt often acts as a catalyst for his best performances.

This is his chance to define his legacy beyond the Premier League and finally deliver the silverware his nation craves.

Egypt's possible match-winners outside of Salah

While the spotlight rarely leaves the captain, Egypt’s 2025 squad possesses enough depth to suggest that Hossam Hassan's troops are no longer a one-man team.

Omar Marmoush

The Manchester City winger has become a vital creative outlet, providing the pace and directness that can alleviate the defensive burden on Salah. Marmoush's adeptness at scoring low-probability efforts can break any game open, which could be pivotal with the Pharaohs likely to play teams who defend deep against them.

Trezeguet

With four goals in AFCON qualifying, outscoring Salah (two), and five in World Cup qualification, four fewer than the nation's talisman, the evergreen Trezeguet's game-deciding qualities cannot be played down.

The former Aston Villa forward netted match-clinching goals against Botswana and Mauritania in Cup of Nations qualification and secured a point in the reverse fixture with the former in Cairo, demonstrating his influence.

With his four goals in World Cup qualifying worth four points, three fewer than Salah's, the 31-year-old's influence could be pivotal in Morocco.

Mostafa Mohamed

While the goals do not regularly come, the Nantes striker remains the nation's centre-forward, and his four goals at the previous AFCON show that he can be decisive if supplied in tournament football.

Emam Ashour

Recently returned from injury, the Al Ahly midfielder provides the engine room with much-needed dynamism and goal-scoring threat from deep.

Ashour scored 13 league goals and supplied seven assists for the Egyptian giants last season, but this term's return has been slowed due to a stop-start campaign after breaking his collarbone at the Club World Cup and subsequently suffering from a virus.