Should Mohamed Salah be considered as the greatest African player ever?

Salah's spectacular statistics

Salah is currently on 16 goals in the Premier League, 6 more than his closest competitor, whilst only Sebastian Haller and Robert Lewandowski have more goals in the Champions League. The Egyptian has 9 assists in the Premier League this season, sharing top spot with team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold and, perhaps most impressively, he has scored 20 or more goals in the last five seasons.

Salah is Liverpool's main man, but his value for his country goes even deeper. Egyptian television presenter Shima Saber told Football Now, "He's definitely a unique case. He's our boy. He makes a great role model who has worked hard towards his goals. We are extremely proud to have such a role model. He is every young boy's role model."

Should Mo Salah be considered the greatest African footballer of all time? That question is being debated on this week's episode of Football Now in the run-up to the biggest tournament on the continent.

Football in Africa

The sport began in Africa in the late 19th century. Just under 100 years later, the Confederation of African Football, also known as CAF, was founded by Sudan, Egypt, South Africa and Ethiopia. This saw the inauguration of the African Cup of Nations tournament.

A 2011 Sportsmarkt survey showed that 72% of people from the continent were interested in football. According to David Goldblatt's The Age of Football: The Global Game in the Twenty-first Century, 300 million people regularly tuned in to the Premier League.

Which players should be considered as the greatest ever?

When it comes to African players, Salah is in great company. Other notable candidates include George Weah, who has been a high achiever on and off the pitch. In addition to earning the Ballon d'Or -