It has been a good few days for Mohamed Salah after a turbulent week or two at Anfield earlier this month. Salah delivered when it mattered most, striking in stoppage time to hand Egypt a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Zimbabwe in their AFCON opener on Monday evening. It was a return to form for the Liverpool captain, who had not started in four consecutive games for the Reds before jetting off to AFCON.
Zimbabwe started brightly, with Prince Dube capitalizing on sloppy defending to give the underdogs an early shock lead in the 20th minute. But Egypt’s quality eventually showed. Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush equalized with a brilliant solo effort in the 64th minute, cutting inside from the left flank and firing home.
The decisive moment came in the 91st minute, when Salah struck with a left-footed shot in stoppage time to complete the comeback and secure three points for the seven-time AFCON champions. It was a goal that mattered, proof that despite the noise surrounding his relationship with his club, Salah’s instincts remain sharp when the stakes are high.
While plenty of reports have asserted that the “truce” between Salah and Liverpool must still be ironed out fully during AFCON, it seems the 33-year-old still holds the Anfield club close to his heart – and his AFCON campaign.
MENA journalist Ismael Mahmoud has revealed that Salah wore a Liverpool-themed shinpad for the Zimbabwe game, with an imprint of him touching the “This is Anfield” sign after he signed for the club:
Mohamed Salah’s shin guard ahead of the game against Zimbabwe 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/NlgdA0iAiR
— Ismael Mahmoud – إسماعيل محمود (@ismaeelmahmoudd) December 22, 2025
There are countless things Salah could have emblazoned on pads, but he chose the iconic Anfield touchstone to accompany him in arguably his most important tournament of his career – certainly for his legacy as an all-time great.
It would be too far to suggest this small detail is a path back to harmony on Merseyside. What’s clear is that Salah’s heart – quite literally worn on his leg – is still at Anfield
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