Mo Salah, the glue that binds Egypt

Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah drives the ball during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football match between Egypt and DR Congo at the Cairo International Stadium on June 26, 2019. [Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP]

This man Mo Salah. Don’t the Egyptians just adore him? The Pharaohs have several individual talents and fans love each of them, but in truth, no one comes close to Mo Salah.

When the team was warming up before their match against DR Congo on Wednesday night, cheers greeted every touch an Egyptian player made, but whenever Mo Salah did, the noise was twice as much.

Every time he touched the ball, the fans went wild. It was no secret who their favourite son was; Mo Salah.

Fans, in their thousands, had been waiting. Patiently waiting for their sons to take on the field for their second Group A match. For more than six hours, they lingered on.

“This player is my hero. I love him very much. He is our hope in this tournament. If Mo Salah plays well, then we will win this tournament,” said Sheko Mohamed, an Egyptian fan.

And when both teams emerged from the tunnel, the noise inside the 75000-seater Cairo International Stadium went up several decibels.

For some time, it was evident that this was going to be Salah’s night. A juncture where he would bring out his A game.

In one of those moments, he sent goalkeeper Matampi Ngumbi Ley to full stretch save as he unleashed one of his trademark free-kicks.

He held his head as the brilliant Ngumbi save glided away. It felt like a wink at the wrong time.

Moments later, Salah, marked by AS Villa Club defender Glody Muzinga, erased the man with a jink, as he was not there in the first. A real proof that there was another player out here, beside Algerian Riyad Mahrez and Senegalese’ Sadio Mane, with the aptitude of bending the flow at his will.

Then his moment of glory came in the 43rd minute and the crowd went wild! This was what had brought them to the stadium; to see goals. Good goals. His’ was awe-inspiring.  Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan, fondly known as Trezeguet, fashioned the chance from the left, delivering an endearing pass to Salah.

The forward feigned to curl it around a defender and captain Marcel Tisserand but then rounded it past him on the near side, fooling the Ngumbi Ley all the way.

Then there was an instant in the game, one that you felt like taking home for constant review. Synonymous with Salah; it was a moment of impressive skill.

While enjoying a 2-0 lead deep into the second half, Marwan Fahmy led a breakaway. Next to him, Salah galloped forward as his legs pummeled the well mowed green grass.

Fahmy squared him a pass. Then the Liverpool man made a stop before playing it back to him; a pass of real absurdity as he drew the men in white jerseys near the corner flag like seafarers being tossed from side to side by furious winds.

How probable is it for this diminutive player to pull these angles out of the air? It’s only him, who can tell.

Salah was the last man standing as the whistle blew for full-time. The other 10 were on their knees in supplication.

A game well played and three vital points fittingly delivered.