Ivory Coast Coach Emerse Fae Snubs Osimhen, Picks Salah As Africa’s Best Player

• Emerse Fae has hailed Mohamed Salah as the best African footballer
• Fae picked the Egypt and Liverpool forward ahead of Victor Osimhen
• Salah has been named as the African Footballer of the Year twice in the past

Mohamed Salah may have struggled at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, but Ivory Coast's Emerse Fae believes the striker is still the best player in Africa at the moment.

The 31-year-old forward only featured in two games for the Pharaohs as they were bundled out of the 2023 AFCON in the group stage, managing only one goal in the competition.

Fae, who was recently appointed as Ivory Coast’s permanent manager after leading the Elephants to the title on home soil, picked Salah as Africa’s best ahead of reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen.

Meet the top 4 African stars who played for Eintracht Frankfurt

Football

Salah, who is rated as one of the best players in the world, came back from a hamstring injury he picked up at the AFCON to score in Liverpool’s 4-1 win against Brentford on Saturday, GOAL reports.

The Egyptian forward is also one of the few players who have been named the African Player of the Year twice in a row after winning the award in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Salah set to miss Carabao Cup final

Meanwhile, Salah is doubtful for Wednesday's Premier League game against Luton at Anfield, and his participation in Sunday's Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea is also in doubt, Daily Mirror reports.

The 31-year-old Egyptian forward had just returned from a hamstring injury, and Liverpool says he is suffering from fatigue in that part of his leg and could miss their next two crucial games.

AFCON 2023: Iheanacho reportedly falls out with Super Eagles coach Peseiro

Football

Jurgen Klopp already lost Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, and Darwin Nunez at Brentford on Saturday, and Salah’s injury is the latest to hit the Anfield club, which now has up to ten players sidelined with injuries.

Salah enters Premier League history books

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Mohamed Salah has entered the history books as the latest player to score and assist in over 30 games in the English Premier League, having scored in Liverpool's victory over Brentford.

Only Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer have scored and assisted in more games than the Egyptian 31-year-old forward following his impressive performance for Liverpool.

Salah, who has 15 Premier League goals this season, is the first African to accomplish this feat as he competes for another Golden Boot, with only Erling Haaland ahead of him.