Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has shown his class with a public message of support for Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, following the Egyptian's dramatic late goal in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah ends drought with last-gasp winner
Mohamed Salah broke a significant goal drought by scoring a 91st-minute winner for Egypt in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Pharaohs came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe on Monday evening. This crucial strike was Salah's first goal since early November, when he last found the net in Liverpool's 2-0 Premier League win against Aston Villa.
Haaland's social media gesture
Following the match, Salah took to Instagram to share celebratory images with fellow goal-scorer Omar Marmoush, who plays for VfB Wolfsburg but is a teammate of Haaland's with the Egyptian national team setup. The post caught the eye of Erling Haaland, who responded directly in the comments. The Norwegian striker wrote: "Salam Brusjans", which translates to 'peace brothers', accompanied by a thumbs-up emoji. This public show of camaraderie between two of the Premier League's biggest stars has been warmly received by fans.
Egypt manager's confident assessment
Prior to the match against Zimbabwe, Egypt's manager Hossam Hassan offered a bullish take on Salah's form and mindset. "Whenever Salah's performances dip with his club, he regains strength with the national team and becomes even better," Hassan stated. He added, "Salah is an icon and will remain so. He's one of the best players in the world... I believe he will have a great tournament with his country." The manager also confirmed he had been in constant contact with Salah and that the player's focus was entirely on the AFCON tournament.
Salah had linked up with the Egypt squad just days after giving an interview that raised questions about his long-term future at Anfield. Despite being omitted from a recent Champions League squad, he did feature as a substitute in Liverpool's match against Brighton before departing for international duty.
What happens next?
Egypt's next Africa Cup of Nations group stage match is against South Africa on Boxing Day. They will then complete their Group Stage fixtures against Angola on Monday, 29 December, with a 4pm kick-off. Meanwhile, back in the Premier League, Liverpool are next in action on Saturday, 27 December (3pm kick-off), when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.
The interaction between Haaland and Salah highlights the respect that exists between elite players at rival clubs, especially during major international tournaments. As the Africa Cup of Nations progresses, all eyes will be on whether Salah can use this decisive goal as a springboard for both his country and his club season upon his return.
