The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mohamed Salah

  • Liverpool eye Rayan as Salah’s replacement

    Liverpool eye Rayan as Salah’s replacement

    Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on a Lyon star as a possible replacement for Mohamed Salah, with the French club seeking to raise funds to address their dire financial situation.

    Salah is a Reds legend having scored 221 goals, and assisting a further 99, in 366 matches since joining the club in 2017.

    The winger, who has lifted the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool, has extended his exceptional form into this season, striking 10 times in just 17 appearances in all competitions for Arne Slot’s resurgent side.

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    The club face a race against time, however, as the Anfield icon’s contract expires in the summer and he will be able to talk to foreign clubs about a move from January.

    Now it has emerged that Liverpool are preparing for the future and have a keen interest in French star Rayan Cherki, according to L’Equipe.

    French giants Paris Saint-Germain are also believed to be eyeing up the Lyon winger with his future at the club remaining uncertain.

    ‘My future will wait, until the end of the season. Lyon comes first. When the time comes to ask the question, we will ask it, but it is not yet the time.’

  • Salah breaks goal record on opening day of EPL

    Salah breaks goal record on opening day of EPL

    Mohamed Salah has broken a Premier League record on the opening day of the season after scoring in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory against Ipswich Town on Saturday.

    The Egyptian latched on to Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass to slide the ball under Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton, doubling a Liverpool lead that had been handed to Arne Slot’s side by Diogo Jota.

    Salah’s strike was the ninth time he’s scored on the first day of a Premier League season, pulling one clear of Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, and Alan Shearer.

    Read Also: SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE: I wanted Osimhen to come to Milan

    The 31-year-old has previously scored on the first day against Watford – his Liverpool debut during the 2017/18 season – before going on to score goals against West Ham, Norwich City (2), Leeds United (a hat-trick), and Fulham.

    The only time Salah has failed to score on the first day of the season was during 2023/24, when Liverpool drew 1-1 with Chelsea.

    The Egypt international now has 14 goal involvements on the opening day of the Premier League season, setting another record in the process.

    The game also marked Salah’s 350th appearance for Liverpool – an indicator of his legendary status at Anfield.

  • FIFA Best Award Fall Out: Egypt Names Salah Pharaohs’ Captain

     

    Egypt may have moved swiftly to placate Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah by naming him Captain of the Pharaohs on Tuesday.

    The Egypt international recently frowned at a major slip on the part of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) after the Association failed to submit the coach and captain votes for the FIFA Best Player award that was won by Lionel Messi.

    Both had voted for Salah, though it would not have guaranteed him victory, he nonetheless viewed it as a flop on the part of EFA.

    Egypt Coach Hossam El Badry named Mo Salah as the new captain of The Pharaohs on Tuesday. El Badry announced that Salah would take over from Aston Villa defender Ahmed Elmohamady, who led the team to round of 16 exit at the last Nations Cup which the country incidentally hosted, after losing by a lone goal to Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

    Pharaohs’ coach Hossam-El-Badry

    Some officials were reportedly jolted when Salah who has netted 58 goals in 81 appearances for Liverpool and 41 goals in 67 appearances for the Pharaohs change his Twitter bio to read only ‘Footballer for Liverpool FC’ having removed any references to the Egypt national team.

    Salah has been called into camp for the October FIFA International window, where the team will host Botswana in a low-key friendly in Cairo on October 14.

    The former Chelsea and Roma ace is adored in his country to the point that about one million electorates cast their votes for him in the last presidential  election in Egypt even when he never showed any interest either in belonging to a political party or contesting for elective office.

     

  • Salah Move Alert: Liverpool budget £89million for Dembele

     

    Champions’ League winners Liverpool are keeping £89million on the table with a view to making a dash for Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembélé should Mohamed Salah decide to leave the Anfield.

    The Egypt international is reportedly being targeted by Real Madrid as an alternative to Neymar who is eager to return to the Nou Camp.

    Salah who failed in his bid to lead the Pharaohs to their 8th Nations cup title according to Diario Gol, is interested in a move to La Liga and add that Liverpool could turn to Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele as his replacement

    While it seems unlikely that the Reds would let a star performer like Salah go at this time, we have seen the Merseyside giants raided by Europe’s elite in the past.

    Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho are some recent examples of big names poached by Barcelona, while Real Madrid raided them for Xabi Alonso back in 2009.

    Salah makes sense as a target for Madrid to help them continue their post-Cristiano Ronaldo rebuild, with big names like Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic joining this summer especially with returnee Coach Zinedine Zidane eager to return the side to winning ways.

  • Salah set to return for Liverpool’s title decider against Wolves

    Mohamed Salah is ready to feature in Liverpool’s Premier League title decider against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday after the Egyptian forward recovered from concussion, manager Juergen Klopp has said.

    Salah missed Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final win against Barcelona on Tuesday after a clash of heads with Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka last weekend but was cleared to train ahead of the domestic season finale.

    Captain Jordan Henderson and full back Andy Robertson also sustained knocks against Barcelona but Klopp is hopeful about the availability of the trio.

    “The famous words in the dressing room this week have been ‘it’s only pain,’” Klopp said at a news conference on Friday.

    “Hendo said it was only pain, Robbo said it was only pain. They should be fine. Bobby (Roberto Firmino), not for the weekend.

    “Mo looked good running around the celebrations (following the Barcelona win). Yesterday and the day before he was running outside. He will be part of training today.”

    Liverpool must overcome Wolves at Anfield to have any chance of winning their first top-flight title since 1990, but could finish second with 97 points if leaders Manchester City defeat Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

    In a remarkable week of soccer, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur overcame seemingly impossible odds to beat Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam respectively, to set up an all-English Champions League final for the first time since 2008.

    READ ALSO: Mohamed Salah canvasses better treatment for Women

    Klopp is now hoping for a final twist in the Premier League story but admitted City remains in pole position to retain their title.

    “The week is not over yet, Sunday counts too,” Klopp added. “Of course we go for that. Nothing changed really.

    “Most people expected me to sit here today and say ‘not in the Champions League final and now it’s difficult to be Premier League champion’.

    “Now we are in the Champions League final and it’s still difficult to be Premier League champion.”

    NAN

  • Salah, Mane up for Premier League player award

    Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are in the running for the Premier League Player of the Year award.

    Salah was last year’s winner and currently dominates the division’s scoring charts with 22 goals while Mane has enjoyed his most successful season of his career, breathing down Salah’s neck with 20 efforts of his own.

    Both players have helped Liverpool in their chase for a first Premier League title since 1990.

    Joining them on the shortlist are teammate and PFA Player of the Year winner Virgil van Dijk, Manchester City’s trio of Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling, and Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard.

    Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, Salah was absent through injury as Liverpool bagged an unprecendent 4-0 comeback win at Anfield to book a spot in the final of the UEFA Champions League.

    Read Also: Breaking: Salah injured, doubtful against Barca

    Jurgen Klopp will hope to have the 26-year-old for the final game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

    A win for the Reds and either a draw or a loss for Manchester City against Brighton at Hove Albion would see Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy.

    On the international scene, Salah and Mane are set to feature for Egypt and Senegal respectively at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Goal.Com

  • Salah’s stunning strike against Chelsea up for Premier League award

    Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has received a nomination for April’s Premier League Goal of the Month award for his stunning 25-yard strike against Chelsea.

    With the Reds 1-0 up through Sadio Mane’s header, the 26-year-old took the game beyond Maurizio Sarri’s men with a piledriver that found the top corner. The game ended 2-0.

    Read Also: Salah admits he’s under pressure to deliver

    Salah will battle for the accolade against Will Hughes, Eden Hazard, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Gonzalo Higuain, Christian Eriksen, Dan Gosling and Ryan Babel.

    The former Chelsea winger also received nomination for the Player of the Month after scoring four goals to help Liverpool keep their Premier League chances alive.

    Currently, he leads the goalscoring chart with 21 goals.

    However, on the international scene, Salah will hope to lead Egypt to Africa Cup of Nations glory.

    The Pharaohs are hosts of the finals and are in Group A with Zimbabwe, DR Congo and Uganda.

    Goal

     

  • Mohamed Salah canvasses better treatment for Women

     

    Two time African footballer of the year and Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has called for change in the way women are treated in the Muslim world, in an interview with Time magazine published Wednesday.

    The 26-year-old Liverpool forward was named one of the US magazine’s 100 most influential figures of the year, alongside other athletes including Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Naomi Osaka.

    Salah told Time that while his attitudes towards gender equality had evolved over the years, he wanted to see more change.

    “I think we need to change the way we treat women in our culture,” Salah was quoted as saying. “It’s not optional.”

    He said the treatment of women “in my culture and in the Middle East” had changed his opinions on gender issues.

    “I support the woman more than I did before, because I feel like she deserves more than what they give her now, at the moment,” Salah told the magazine.

    Salah is an icon in Egypt after helping the country qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the first time they had reached the finals of the event since 1990.

    He was named African Footballer of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and was also English football’s Player of the Year in 2017-2018 following a dazzling season with Liverpool.

    He told Time he has learned to cope with the “little bit of pressure” that comes with his elevated profile, while expressing pride at being regarded as a role model.

    “To be the first Egyptian in (this) situation and no one has done this before… it’s something different,” he said, insisting that superstardom had not changed his lifestyle.

    “I just live my life normal,” he said. “Most of the time I stay at home; I don’t like to go out.”

    Salah’s submission is likely to gladden the heart of some who believe that the women need to be given additional freedom to be able to express themselves and also prove their ability to achieve results in some area of human endeavors.

    Salah, who made a huge impact as Liverpool zoomed into the semifinals of the Champions League, is being banked upon to lead the Pharaohs in a possible host and win outing when the Nations cup begins in June this year in Egypt. The Pharaohs are eyeing their 8th title after winning the continental diadem seven times in the past.

  • Chelsea ban 3 fans, ‘hunt’ 3 more for abusive Salah chants

    Chelsea says they have banned three fans for their part in an abusive video directed at striker Mohamed Salah from Premier League rivals Liverpool, local media reported on Friday.

    Six men were seen on a video posted on social media on Thursday abusing Salah, calling the Egypt international a “bomber”.

    Both clubs roundly condemned the video, each issuing a statement in which they pledged to work together to find the people responsible.

    Chelsea said that they had stopped three fans at the gates for their Europa League clash with Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic.

    Read Also: Late Alonso header gives Chelsea win in Prague

    Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud said the whole Chelsea sides were disgusted at the video.

    “I think these people shouldn’t belong to Chelsea.

    “I think the club and everybody condemn these kinds of things, and we are 100 per cent behind Mo Salah. I think nowadays it shouldn’t happen,’’ Giroud said.

    Salah played 13 times for Chelsea before joining Roma, and eventually signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2017.

    Leaders Liverpool hosts Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.

  • Salah admits he’s under pressure to deliver

    Mohamed Salah has admitted he is feeling the weight of expectation as Liverpool look to end their 29-year wait for a Premier League title.

    Speaking to former Liverpool captain and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, Reds talisman Salah spoke honestly about the pressures he and his team-mates are under ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

    Yet he argued Manchester City are also under pressure in a tense battle at the top of the table, as he admits his dream to win the Premier League is a light at the end of his tunnel.