AFCON 2023: Mohamed Salah's Egypt heritage is on the line

Mohamed Salah will leave the Egypt camp in the Ivory Coast and fly to Liverpool, England, to undergo rehabilitation for his muscle injury. 

Salah sustained an injury during Egypt's recent 2-2 draw with Ghana, forcing him to exit the match prematurely.

And he won't be available for Egypt's upcoming Group B fixture against Cape Verde and, should they progress, for the last 16 and quarter-final matches.

Jurgen Klopp, Salah’s manager at Liverpool, outlined the current plan, and emphasised Salah's return from Ivory Coast was to ensure optimal medical care.

When questioned about the possibility of Salah returning to the Ivory Coast if Egypt reaches the latter stages of the tournament, Klopp indicated an openness to the idea.

"I’m not a doctor, but I would say if he is fit before the final and Egypt qualifies for the final then probably, yes. Why not?"

"I think he will be back, but we’ll wait,” he said.

Klopp’s position aligns with the Egyptian FA's hope that he might rejoin the team in the semi-finals, contingent upon receiving treatment in England.

The Egyptian FA later confirmed that the captain and star will return to the camp, when and if the Pharaohs make it to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

🇪🇬The Egyptian FA updated regarding Mohamed Salah:

“The Egyptian FA announces that Salah will now travel to England to receive treatment with the hope that he will join the Egyptian national team if it qualifies for the semi-finals”. pic.twitter.com/TBz2gp5Xep

— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) January 21, 2024

It was clear that this AFCON would eventually be the great climax, or maybe the anti-climax, of the heated discussion in Egyptian football: How will Salah be remembered on the national stage?

Salah will fly to England for rehab, and return when and if the Pharaohs make sit to the semis, per the Egyptian FA.

It was clear that #AFCON2023 will be the anticlimax of Salah x Egypt NT story, and now things even more complicated. >>

— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) January 21, 2024

If Egypt reach the semi-final and play well together without him, people will say he was the problem.

If he comes back and they lose, people will blame it on Salah.

If he doesn't return, people in Egypt will likely see him as not loyal enough - surely not devoted like former Pharaohs' legends Hossam Hassan and Mohamed Aboutrika.

First time in my life to retweet myself.
We were talking about the likes of Hossam Hassan, Ahmed Hassan and Abou Trika. https://t.co/Mwem9MD5AP

— Amr Nageeb Fahmy (@amrnfahmy) January 21, 2024

The only way for Salah to put an end to these doubts and to lock in his national team heritage, is by winning an AFCON with Egypt.

There is a lot of pressure to deal with - a lot is dependent on him, and a lot is dependent on his Egypt teammates.

There is so much to bear here that one can doubt what Salah wishes for. 

It is reminiscent of the atmosphere around Salah ahead of the 2018 World Cup, when he was recovering from the famous shoulder injury he suffered after a Sergio Ramos tackle.

Salah, then, made it to the World Cup in Russia, half-injured, and scored twice - but Egypt lost all its games. 

A hundred million Egyptians will be waiting to see what happens this time.

Thumbnail photo via CAF official X account.