Ahead of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign, national team coach Hossam Hassan has dismissed suggestions that Mohamed Salah is in a slump or “crisis,” despite recent tumult surrounding his club situation at Liverpool.
Salah, 33, left for AFCON duty after a series of mixed fortunes at Anfield that saw him dropped from Liverpool’s starting lineup and publicly voice frustration over limited playing time. The forward expressed discontent following a draw at Leeds United, claiming he had been unfairly treated by boss Arne Slot — remarks that ignited speculation about his future with the Premier League champions.
However, Hassan insists that Salah’s morale remains high since joining Egypt’s training camp in Morocco. The coach said that the star appears “as motivated as ever” and is fully focused on helping Egypt chase a record-extending eighth AFCON title. He added that disagreements between players and club managers are “not unusual” in modern football and that nothing in his camp suggests Salah is distracted by club matters.
Transfer rumors also continue to swirl, with interest reportedly coming from the Saudi Pro League and pundits like Jamie Carragher predicting a January move could be on the cards. Despite this, Hassan stressed that Salah’s attention is on national team success first and foremost.
Egypt will begin their Group B campaign against Zimbabwe, with South Africa and Angola to follow, as Salah aims to complete the one major title that has eluded him at international level.
