Salah deserves to be the best in the history of Egypt: Aboutrika

CAIRO – 12 January 2018: Egypt and Al-Ahly’s legend, Mohamed Aboutrika, revealed a story of him with Liverpool’s Egyptian king, Mohamed Salah, which reflects Salah’s great ambition.

"When Salah won the Young Player of the Year award in Africa, I was the Best Player inside Africa," Aboutrika spoke in beIN sports channel as he analyse the English Premier League matches.

“Salah told me that he will win the CAF Best Player award one day; now he won it twice,” Aboutrika added.

Salah won on Tuesday 2018 African Player of the Year for a second successive time.

The Egyptian player won the title beating off his Liverpool teammate, Sadio Mane, and Gabonese and Arsenal player, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Salah claimed the award in a ceremony held Tuesday in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.


It is the Egypt international's second African Player of the Year title to become the fourth African after El Hadji Diouf, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure to win the award back to back.

Aboutrika continued his talks about Salah,: “When Egypt won the rights of organizing 2019 AFCON, Salah told me that he wants to lead Egypt back on the top of the African football,”

Egypt dominated the African football from 2006 till 2010 as it won three African Cup of Nations titles under the helm of Egyptian manager, Hassan Shehata, and a deadly squad includes Essam el-Hadary, Wael Gomaa, Hosny Abd Rabo, Mohamed Aboutrika, Mohamed Zidan, Amr Zaky and Emad Moteab.

“Salah has the chance to win the African title in front of the Egyptian fans, Liverpool is doing well in the English Premier league; I think he has many goals to achieve,” Aboutrika added.