It’s quite no longer news that Egyptian and Liverpool star, Mohamed Salah emerged the 2017 African Player of the Year. However, you’d certainly love to know why no other player but Salah was crowned the CAF Footballer of the Year. Does he really deserve the title? What and what were his striking achievements in the year under review?
Your questions will soon be answered as we have gathered some of the major feats Mohamed Salah accomplished in his football career in the year 2017…and don’t forget that the Egyptian forward also won both the 2017 BBC Player of the Year and Arab Player of the Year!
With a total of 17 English Premier League goals for 2017 alone, young Salah, is ranked the second EPL top scorer after Tottenham’s record player, Harry Kane. The Egypt international tied with Liverpool’s Roger Hunt’s record after scoring both goals in the Red’s 2-1 win over Leicester City on the 30th of December.
It will also shock you to know that Salah’s number of goals in the past year exceeded the total number of goals scored by front line players of many Premier League clubs put together.
Also See: Full Nominee List for the 2017 African Player of the Year
In the year under review, Mohamed Salah bagged a total of 23 goals for his club, Liverpool in just 29 appearances, 5 in the Champions League and 17 in the Premier League.
In all, Salah scored 39 goals in 60 official matches for both clubs and country in 2017.
Having recorded such incredible feat in a world competition such as the EPL, no other one but Salah could be the best choice for the CAF Player of the Year award!
Mohammed Salah was indeed a significant and influential figure in Egypt’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad in Gabon. On 25 January 2017, he scored the only goal in the Pharaoh’s 1–0 win against the Black Stars of Ghana to secure first place in Group D.
His outstanding performances at the tournament also helped his team to finish second place, scoring 2 goals and assisting 2 in 6 games.
Salah also played a key role in Egypt’s qualification for the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia, having a hand in all seven of the goals that pushed the Pharaohs to their first World Cupin 28 years!
He assisted 2 goals and netted 5, including the magical stoppage-time penalty in Egypt’s final qualifier game against Congo. He opened the scoring for the Pharaoh’s in the 62nd minute before scoring a last-gasp penalty that that finally bought them the ticket to Russia!
After receiving the BBC Player of the Year award, Salah disclosed that he is working hard to become an all-time best Egyptian footballer.
“I want to be the best Egyptian ever so I work hard,” he said.
This desire appears to be the morale behind the 25-year-old’s incredible form in the past few years and specifically in the past year. Recall that prior to joining Liverpool, Salah scored 15 goals and made 11 others as he helped Roma finish second in Serie A – their best league placing in seven years!
Among other several accolades he garnered in the past year, Salah won Liverpool’s official Goal and Player of the Month for August and September. Considering his impressive and consistent form, his former club Roma had congratulated him for winning the title for the rest of the year.
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