Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has played down talk of being one of the favourites at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) that is taking place in Morocco, insisting that the Pharaohs are focused on taking the tournament one match at a time.
Tonight (Saturday), Egypt will face the equally talented Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals in Agadir at 9:00pm. The biggest prize in the match is the ticket to advance to the semifinals of the tournament, something that both sides are very keen to achieve in their quest to win the Afcon trophy.
Ivory Coast are the defending champions, while the Pharaohs will be looking to win their eighth Afcon gold medal. Midweek, Egypt defeated Benin 3-1 with Salah once again leading from the front. The talisman scored Egypt’s decisive third goal, taking his tally to three goals in three matches at the tournament, while the red-hot Elephants stomped on neighbours Burkina Faso 3-0 in the Last 8 round.
According to the CAF website, and despite his sparkling form, Salah is keen to keep expectations in check. “I don’t think we are favourites,” he said after the Benin match. “We have young players, most of them playing back home in Egypt. We are just fighting for our country, then we see where we can go. Everyone here just wants to give their best.”
Salah has featured in all but one of Egypt’s matches so far, sitting out the final group game against Angola when qualification was already assured. That decision, made by head coach Hossam Hassan, proved decisive as Egypt found the edge in extra time against a stubborn Benin side.
“Physically, we were a little better in extra time and that gave us the advantage,” Salah explained. “There is no easy game in Africa anymore because the levels are very close. I told the boys that we haven’t seen teams losing by four or five goals, and that says a lot.”
The Liverpool forward was quick to acknowledge the quality of the opposition. “We played against a team with a good coach and a strong structure. It wasn’t easy, but we are happy to have won in the end.”
Away from the spotlight, Salah has largely avoided media attention during Egypt’s stay in Agadir, quietly focusing on both collective success and personal redemption. Having lost two Afcon finals, the 32-year-old is still chasing his first continental crown.
There is also history within reach. Salah’s three goals in Morocco have taken him to 66 international goals, just three shy of head coach Hossam Hassan’s long-standing Egypt scoring record of 69. Hassan, himself an Egyptian legend and Afcon winner as a player, has no doubt Salah will surpass the mark sooner rather than later.
“He is a very important player, not only for us but also for his club Liverpool,” Hassan said in a previous interview. “He has shown his leadership in this tournament, guiding the young players and taking responsibility. We are blessed to have him, and I expect him to keep scoring.”
For Salah, individual milestones remain secondary. His hunger, like Egypt’s ambition, is firmly fixed on one prize; lifting the fcon trophy at last.
