Mohamed Salah: Where Does the Liverpool Star Stand Among Africa’s Greatest Footballers?

• Mohamed Salah reached another milestone on Monday, January 1
• The winger scored his 150th Premier League goal, sparking debate about the greatest African players ever
• Where does he rank among Africa's best? Sports Brief takes a look

Mohamed Salah got a deserved send-off to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday with a landmark performance in Liverpool's epic 4-2 win over Newcastle United.

Despite missing a penalty in the first half, the Egyptian star bagged his 150th and 151st Premier League goals in a Red shirt and that got fans talking.

The 31-year-old signed off with a perfect performance that fans expect to see in Cote d'Ivoire during the 2023 AFCON.

The brace and an assist further cemented his status as one of the best players in Premier League history. However, some are unconvinced about his status as the best African player of all time.

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Cameroon legend Samuel Eto'o is considered the greatest African player of all time. The likes of Didier Drogba, Roger Milla, George Weah, Yaya Toure, Mohamed Aboutrika, Abedi Pele, and Nwanwko Kanu are some of the African players usually ranked in the top 10.

Salah has achieved more than most of these superstars, but where does he sit on the all-time list?

Mohamed Salah's career

The Egyptian King started his career at El Mokawloon Club over a decade ago, and his journey was an arduous one before he reached the upper echelons of the Premier League.

He bounced around Basel in Switzerland, Fiorentina, Chelsea, and AS Roma before settling at Liverpool in 2017, where his rise to superstardom began.

When Jurgen Klopp brought him to Merseyside, a few eyebrows were raised and 151 Premier League goals later, he has silenced all the doubters.

In his club career, he has won a Premier League title, a Champions League crown, an FA Cup, a League Cup, a Club World Cup, and two Swiss league titles.

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He has scored 279 club goals in 582 appearances so far in his career. The majority of those goals came as a Liverpool player.

Salah has also scored 53 goals for Egypt in 93 appearances. Hossam Hassan still leads the way for Egypt with 69 goals. Six of Salah's goals have come in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Where Salah ranks in Africa GOAT debate

Salah has yet to win an AFCON title but could do so before he retires, and that plays a major role when deciding who is the greatest African player ever.

Players like Drogba, Weah, Kanu and Michael Essien never won AFCON either, so Salah's standing has to be higher.

The Egyptian also won two African Player of the Year awards, making him a serious contender for the title. George Weah is the only African to win the Ballon d'Or, and Eto'o is one of the few players to win back-to-back trebles in Europe.

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Salah's World Cup performances

Salah has only played two World Cup matches and scored twice. His Egyptian side has barely featured at the World Cup in Salah's prime.

Most African greats have also had underwhelming performances at the biggest stage. Eto'o has scored three World Cup goals, Drogba scored three, while Weah never played at a World Cup.

Ghana's Asamoah Gyan is Africa's top goalscorer at the World Cup with six goals, and he is not even in the top 10 in the all-time lists, per CAF.

No African has scored more Champions League goals than Salah.

Therefore, Salah could be ranked the third-best player in Africa behind Eto'o and Weah, with all the aforementioned stats considered.

An AFCON title could solidify his status in the top three in the all-time rankings.

All stats courtesy of Transfermarkt.

Salah hits Kudus' celebration in Liverpool win

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Sports Brief previously reported on Salah hitting Mohammed Kudus' celebration after scoring his 150th Premier League goal against Newcastle.

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table to ring in the New Year thanks to their 4-2 win over Eddie Howe's side on Monday evening.

West Ham United star, Kudus has set a trend of sitting on the advertising hoardings after scoring, with numerous players having replicated this since.