Mohamed Salah and Egypt embrace underdogs tag ahead of Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal

Egypt may have reached the African Nations Cup nine times, winning seven and losing two, but there has never been the kind of global attention on the big game as there will be on Sunday as they take on Senegal.

Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are a major draw, of course. It is fair to say that fans of the English Premier League will be watching events in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde closely. Salah is Anfield’s Egyptian king, a red legend who has scored more than 100 goals for the club since signing in 2017. So good has he been this season that some are saying that the 29-year-old is the best player in the world on current form. Mane of Senegal has been Salah’s partner in crime in the Liverpool attack for years as they put many a team to the sword. Now they line up against each other.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp brought both to Merseyside and will be keeping a close eye on proceedings. “Great achievement for both getting through to the final,” said the German. “So far, a really successful tournament for our boys and it will be exciting. It won’t be easy because one will be really happy afterwards and one less so. It’s a chance to achieve something really big.”

Salah was on the losing side in the 2017 final against Cameroon and would love nothing more than to add international silverware to the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League titles won with Liverpool.

“This trophy for me would be completely different, would be the closest to my heart,” Salah said. “We were close before to winning this African Cup, we gave it everything but we were not lucky. But it’s ok, now we are here in the new one. We have to fight for it, we have to give everything to win it and I’m sure the players have