AFCON FOCUS: EGYPT RALLY AROUND MO SALAH AMIDST TENSE LIVERPOOL FUTURE
Mohamed Salah's Egypt teammates are showing fierce support for their captain as he heads to AFCON, amid an uncertain Liverpool future and massive interest from Saudi PIF.
Mohamed Salah's relationship with Liverpool seems tense, but he'll still get a warm welcome from his Egypt teammates as they get ready for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which starts on December 21.
Even though Salah's future with Liverpool is uncertain, his Egypt teammates are supporting their captain as they head to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Egypt, which has won the tournament a record seven times, are in Group B with Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. They'll stay in Agadir, a city on the southern coast, for the first stage.
Striker Ahmed Kouka Hassan posted on social media that players like Salah shouldn't be on the bench. He was talking about Salah being a substitute in Liverpool's last three games, only playing in one.
He added that if Salah does start on the bench, he should be the first player to come on, no later than the 65th minute.
Kouka said that Salah is more than just a teammate; he's a leader and a legend for both club and country, encouraging him to keep working hard because tough times don't last, but his greatness will.
Head coach Hossam Hassan shared a photo of himself with Salah, calling him a symbol of perseverance and strength.
Winger Ahmed Zizo El Sayed called Salah the greatest Liverpool legend ever, and goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhy said he's always the best.
Liverpool hasn't been doing great in their title defence this season. They're currently 10th, 10 points behind Arsenal. Salah has only scored four goals in 13 league games.
After their 3-3 draw with Leeds United, where they gave up the lead twice, Salah told reporters that he felt like the club had thrown him under the bus.
He said it was clear that someone wanted him to take the blame for their poor performance and that someone didn't want him at the club.
Salah wasn't in the squad for the Champions League game against Inter, and he's hinted that he might not play for Liverpool again.
A source from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) told AFP that they're ready to do whatever it takes to sign Salah during the mid-season transfer window.
Egypt hasn't won AFCON in 15 years, but Salah, who is 33, believes they'll win it again before he retires.
He said that he believes it will happen and that it's a great feeling every time he represents Egypt.
Salah has experienced a lot of disappointment in his four AFCON appearances, with Egypt finishing as runners-up twice and being knocked out in the round of 16 twice.
He assisted the goal that put Egypt ahead in the 2017 final, but Cameroon came back to win 2-1.
Egypt, as hosts and favourites, was shocked by South Africa in the first knockout round in 2019, losing 1-0 to a late goal.
They reached the final again in 2022 but lost to Senegal on penalties after a goalless draw.
Last year in the Ivory Coast, Salah injured his hamstring against Ghana and didn't play again in the tournament. Egypt then lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the round of 16.
This year, Egypt has a lot of attacking talent, including Salah, Omar Marmoush from Manchester City, Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes, and Mahmoud Trezeguet Hassan and Zizo from Al Ahly.
Group B is the only group in Morocco with two teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Egypt and South Africa.
South Africa did better than expected by finishing third at the 2024 AFCON, but their coach, Hugo Broos, thinks it will be tougher this time, as every team will be trying harder to beat them.
Angola and Zimbabwe have both recently hired new coaches: Patrice Beaumelle from France and Mario Marinica from Romania.
Angola has reached the quarterfinals three times, including last year, while Zimbabwe has never made it past the first round.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
