Former midfielders explain why Salah needs AFCON

Speaking on Channel 4 Sport’s Africa Cup of Nations coverage, John Obi Mikel and Jay-Jay Okocha offered blunt insight into why this competition remains unfinished business for Salah.

“This man here will be looking to get his hand on this tournament because he hasn’t won it,” Mikel said. “You can talk about the Premier League and the Champions League, but he has to win the AFCON.”

Okocha went further, explaining the cultural weight behind it.

“In Africa you might win whatever trophy with your club, if you don’t win anything for your nation, they don’t regard you as a legend,” he said.

That context matters for us, because it explains the edge Salah continues to play with despite having already lifted every major honour available at Liverpool.

Egypt’s progress keeps our most decisive attacker out of Arne Slot’s plans for now.

Salah absence continues to shape Liverpool picture

The knock-on effect has already been analysed closer to home, with Michael Owen and Steve McManaman openly discussing how Liverpool’s structure changes when Salah is unavailable.

Those comments landed after a difficult night domestically, where it was noted that even when the Egyptian is not at his sharpest, he remains our difference-maker.

There was also a quieter moment earlier in the tournament that spoke volumes, when Salah swapped shirts with Benin midfielder Romaric Amoussou after deciding a tie in extra time, a small act that still travelled quickly across social media.

For Liverpool, the bigger picture is clear.

While Slot continues navigating this period without his most reliable source of goals and control, Salah is chasing something deeply personal on another stage.

And as African legends have now explained, that pursuit is about legacy as much as silverware.

Which only reinforces what we regain when he finally returns.