Online Reporter
WHEN the Warriors face Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this month, they will be facing an unhappy Mohamed Salah who feels the Liverpool manager wants him out of Anfield.
The Egyptian star has finally spoken out saying he feels like he has been thrown under the bus and his relationship with the English Premiership football club’s head coach Arne Slot has broken down.
He was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds United — the third straight game the Egypt forward has started on the bench.
Whichever way you look at it, it is a crisis on the part of the club and perhaps Egypt.
But the Warriors will be watching with keen interest on the developments given the player is a huge influence when playing in the Egyptian national team.
As things stand, Zimbabwe could face a frustrated Salah or a player out to prove he still has the magic playing away from Anfield and in Egyptian colours.
“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club,” said Salah.
Given Salah will leave Liverpool on December 15 for Morocco, that perhaps sums up the degree of frustration from a player that will face Zimbabwe, South Africa and Angola in the group stages.
“That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. This club, I will always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I always will.
“It (the situation) is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don’t get it. It’s like I’m being thrown more under the bus. I don’t think I’m the problem. I have done so much for this club.
“I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. It’s football. It is what it is.”
After the Leeds game — when Liverpool led 2-0 and then 3-2 before conceding a 96th-minute equaliser — Slot told Sky Sports why he did not use Salah off the bench.
“It was more about controlling the game (at 3-2) and we didn’t need a goal,” said Slot before Salah’s interview. “Normally when you need a goal, like last week against Sunderland, I brought Mo on.”
Speaking at his pre-match news conference last Friday, Slot said he understood the talk surrounding Salah after being dropped from the team.
“The chatter, yes, because he deserves that, he has been so influential for me and (for) six or seven years. It’s completely normal people talk about it when he isn’t playing,” added Slot.
If Salah has played his last game for Liverpool, then the “Egyptian king” will still go down as a Liverpool legend.
And he may just sign off in style at AFCON, with Zimbabwe keeping their fingers crossed that Divine Lunga or whoever is assigned to him, will do the job. — Zimpapers Sports Hub/ BBC Sport.
