Super Salah crowned Africa’s finest
Salah, 25, polled 625 points from a voting panel made up of national team coaches and captains, plus a selection of officials and journalists, to win the continental award. Sadio Mane, the Senegal and Liverpool forward, finished second on 507 with Patrick Aubameyang, the Borussia Dortmund and Gabon striker, third on 311. Salah is the second Egyptian to win the award after Mahmoud Al-Khatib in 1983.
Salah’s victory capped a clean sweep of the three main African football awards for Egypt. Egypt won team of the year and their manager, Hector Cuper, Africa’s coach of the year.
“This award is a big award for me,” said Salah. “It’s a special moment for me in my career. This is a dream come true.”
The gong is a reward for success on all fronts in 2017 for the Egypt forward after he inspired his country to a long-awaited World Cup place and had a phenomenal start to his career at Liverpool. Salah kicked off a memorable year as part of the Egypt side that reached the African Cup of Nations final in February. Although they lost that clash to Cameroon, it still represented success with the team having not played in the tournament for seven years.
Salah then went on to be joint top-scorer in the final round of World Cup qualifiers as Egypt reached the global showpiece for the first time since 1990.
He scored five goals in six games in the decisive round as Egypt sealed its place in Russia next summer, ending almost three decades of near-misses and misery for fans.
Salah scored both goals, including the injury-time winner, in the 2-1 win over the Republic of Congo in October that sealed Egypt’s place at the World Cup and sent a nation wild.
“It was very difficult to explain that moment to qualify to the World Cup after 28 years,” he said at the awards ceremony in Ghana. “And to have a great season with the clubs, with Roma and Liverpool.”
Salah then went on to have a stunning first half of the season at Liverpool with 23 goals in 29 games in all competitions, justifying Liverpool’s decision to break the club’s transfer record and pay $46.8 million to buy him from Roma in the summer. whether he could ever become a regular scorer in a major European league.
“Mohamed has been absolutely amazing and gives Liverpool a different dimension because his pace gets him behind defenders,” said former Liverpool star Ian Rush.
“Before the arrival of Salah, opponents of Liverpool were happy in the knowledge that no one was going past them.”
Another former Liverpool star, Gary McAllister, said the Egyptian combined individual skill with teamwork.
“Mohamed has wonderful flair, but also works effortlessly for the side and is very much a team player.
“He works his socks off for the badge and that is what really impresses me. He is also capable of scoring from all areas of the pitch.”
Most Egyptian stars eventually play for one of the Cairo club giants — Al-Ahly or Zamalek — before considering a move to Europe.
But Salah never lined up for the “Red Devils” of Ahly or the “White Knights” of Zamalek, turning out for less fashionable El Mokawloon instead in the Egyptian capital.
His goals attracted the attention of Basel, who signed him after Egyptian domestic football was suspended in 2012 when a football-related Port Said riot claimed more than 70 lives.
He played for Egypt at under-20 and under-23 levels before making his senior debut and was the leading 2018 World Cup qualifying scorer in Africa with five goals.
ACCRA: Mohamed Salah described winning the African Player of the Year “as a special moment in my career,” completing a week to remember for the Egypt star who was also crowned Arab Player of the Year.