Advertisement

Caf salutes 'phenomenal' Salah

Wednesday April 25 2018
Salah

Liverpool's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NDI EUGENE NDI

The President of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Ahmad Ahmad, has congratulated Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah following the Liverpool forward’s decoration as Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year for the 2017/18 season.

In a statement posted on http://www.cafonline.com, Ahmad said: “Salah has really made Africa proud.”

“As the reigning African Player of the Year, he has proven that African players have the ability to rub shoulders with the best in the world. The African football family is proud of Salah’s achievement as a true son of the soil.”

Salah, on Tuesday night, further established himself as one of the best in Europe when he scored twice in Liverpool's 5-2 rout of Roma in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash at the Anfield.

The 25-year-old Salah is the first Egyptian and first African-born player to win the PFA honour.

RELATED CONTENT: Salah runs riot as Liverpool hit five past Roma

Advertisement

Ahmad said further that Salah’s unrivalled commitment to both club and country makes him a role model to the youth across the continent and beyond.

Salah has had a stellar season with Liverpool, breaking new grounds since joining in June 2017. He is the first African to score more than 30 goals in a season in the English top flight.

With three league games still remaining, the Egyptian is also the frontrunner for the top scorer prize in the Premier League.

World Cup

Several prominent Egyptian personalities and state agencies have also issued statements congratulating Salah who has been described as a source of national pride.

Egypt's Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, in a Twitter message, described Salah as "a source of national pride and happiness," and "a true inspiration to the youth of Egypt and Africa".

Last year, Salah’s 95th-minute penalty against Congo secured a 2-1 victory, which saw the Egyptian national team qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1990.

In January, the iconic footballer was received by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Minister for Youth and Sports Khaled Abdel Aziz, who praised him for his achievements.

Advertisement