Mohamed Salah was in fine form once again on Saturday as his goal and assist led Egypt to a 3-2 win over the Ivory Coast, which means the Pharaohs have booked a spot in the AFCON semifinals.
Salah's fourth goal of the tournament was the finishing touch in an exciting match that gave a lot of goals and some tense action throughout. The reward for another fine display? Yet another marquee international showdown against Sadio Mane and Senegal.
The former dynamic duo at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp have played in some big matches while representing their nations at the highest level before.
Sadio's Senegal shadow
Sadio Mane has been equally as important for Senegal as Salah has been for Egypt over the years, if not even a little bit more. Mane has 19 G/A for his country in just AFCON action since 2017 while Salah sits on 15 G/A for Egypt.
Perhaps more importantly in that time, it was Mane's Senegal that defeated Mo's Egypt in the 2022 AFCON Final.
On that day, neither side could find a goal for the full 120 minutes, so things went to a penalty shootout to decide things. It was Mane who scored the winning penalty to secure the 4-2 shootout victory and a continental title at the expense of Salah.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Mo, as he was really the only option for Egypt at that time and he just did not have the talent around him that Sadio did.
This AFCON Final was followed almost immediately by a huge two-legged World Cup qualifying tie between the two rivals, with the winner going on to the World Cup in Qatar and the loser missing out altogether.
Salah's World Cup heartbreak
Egypt won the first leg of this qualifying tie at home when Salah's shot rang off the crossbar before being put in the Senegal goal via an own goal to give the win to The Pharaoh's.
However, the second leg back in Senegal, was where the real drama occurred. Senegal won 1-0 forcing yet another shootout between the sides.
With lasers in his face, Salah skied his penalty and Sadio converted his to secure another momentous win over his teammate and international rival in quick succession. As Salah returned to Liverpool, his spirit was clearly crushed and he went through a rough patch of form for the Reds immediately after these events.
For his part, 2025 was kinder to Salah as the expanded World Cup field means that he was able to lead his nation to the 2026 World Cup with a relatively comfortable qualification.
A fresh opportunity for Mo
When Egypt meets Senegal in the AFCON semifinal on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Salah will surely have some extra incentive to get a positive result over the line.
If he can maintain his red-hot form in this tournament, it might be his best chance to exercise any Sadio Mane demons that might be floating around the universe.
Following their big win over Ivory Coast, Salah was all positive energy and vibes.
""I am very happy and proud to play these guys. We always want to win and bring joy to the Egyptian fans, and we believe we can win every match with this mindset. It was a difficult match. The Ivorians won the AFCON last time at home. They played like champions today as well. But we gave everything, and I'm happy we managed to qualify.""Mo Salah on Egypt beating Ivory Coast
Salah's four goals in the tournament to this point are joint second-most alongside fellow semifinalist with Nigeria, Victor Osimhen.
Senegal have been a little more balanced, but it's clear this version of Egypt is playing with more confidence and at a higher level than in 2022.
Salah left Liverpool for this competition under a myriad of concerns and drama about lack of playing time, the club betraying him, and more.
It's good to see him smiling and scoring important goals once again. I believe if he can fire Egypt into the Final, and perhaps win the whole thing, he could return to Anfield as a whirling dragon ready to set the league on fire.