Why Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was not nominated for African POTY

Salah was not included on a 10-man list of nominees announced on Thursday

Joseph Agboboli October 25, 2024

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Mohamed Salah, widely regarded as the best African footballer in the world has once again been overlooked for a major award in his home continent.

The Egyptian winger has showcased remarkable consistency for Liverpool this season, recording seven goals and seven assists in just 12 games under manager Arne Slot.

This follows a stellar performance in Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign, where Salah tallied 25 goals and 14 assists across 44 appearances in all competitions.

Remarkably, in the calendar year of 2024, no African player in the top 10 leagues worldwide has surpassed Salah’s impressive total of 29 goal contributions.

Therefore, his exclusion from the shortlist for the CAF Africa Player of the Year award is particularly puzzling.

Salah was notably absent from the 10-man list of nominees announced on Thursday.

The nominees are:

Amine Gouiri (Rennes/Algeria)
Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen/Burkina Faso)
Simon Adingra (Brighton/Ivory Coast)
Chancel Mbemba (Marseille/DR Congo)
Serhou Guirassy (Dortmund/Guinea)
Achraf Hakimi (PSG/Morocco)
Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain/Morocco)
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta/Nigeria)
William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood/Nigeria)
Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns/South Africa)

While the players mentioned certainly deserve recognition, the omission of a player in Salah’s elite form is striking.

It appears that his absence may be attributed to factors beyond his on-field performance, especially following a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations tournament marred by injury.

Salah’s reputation in Egypt suffered when he chose to receive treatment for his hamstring injury at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre instead of with his national team.

Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, the 32-year-old has scored an impressive 218 goals in 361 appearances, solidifying his status as a key player for the Reds.

The Reds currently sit at the top of the Premier League and second in the newly revamped Champions League after Wednesday’s 1-0 victory against RB Leipzig.

Up next for the Reds is a crucial test against title rivals Arsenal on Sunday, where a win in North London would put Slot’s team seven points clear of the Gunners.