Home Sports How Salah Beat Moses To BBC AFOTY Award

How Salah Beat Moses To BBC AFOTY Award

0
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah

Egypt’s international star, Mohamed Salah has been crowned 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year beating Super Eagles winger, Victor Moses and three other to the award.

The Liverpool striker, who has a blistering start to his career with the English Premier League side he joined in the summer transfer window, beat Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon), Naby Keïta (RB Leipzig and Guinea), Sadio Mané (Liverpool F.C. and Senegal) and Moses (Chelsea and Nigeria) to the prestigious award.

The 25-year-old Egyptian scored in the Merseyside derby on Sunday to take his season goal tally to an impressive 19 goals (6 assists) from 24 matches across all competitions.

Shortly after winning the award, Salah said : ‘“I am very happy to win this award, and you feel like you had a great year, so I’m very happy. I would also like to win it next year!”

In early 2017, the forward was the central figure for Egypt as they finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations.

He also had a hand in all seven of the goals that took the Pharaohs to their first World Cup since 1990 – assisting two and scoring five, including the stoppage-time penalty against Congo that qualified them for Russia.

“I want to be the best Egyptian ever so I work hard,” added Salah, who is the third player from Egypt to win the award and first since 2008.

“I always follow my own way and I want everyone in Egypt to follow my way.”

Salah’s form at club level as been every bit as impressive as it has in internationals.

In Italy, he scored 15 goals and made 11 others as he helped Roma finish second in Serie A, their best league placing in seven years, prior to joining Liverpool and scoring 13 times in his first 16 league games.

“I would like to thank my Liverpool team-mates and I also had a good season with Roma so I have to thank my team-mates there and my team-mates in the national team,” said Salah.

“Since I came here, I wanted to work hard and show everyone my football. I wanted to come back to the Premier League since I left, so I am very happy.”

Salah has taken the Premier League by storm this season, in contrast to a less impressive spell in the division with Chelsea between 2014-15.

“It’s well-deserved,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who handed the trophy to the player at the club’s Melwood training academy.

“I am a really lucky person. I had the opportunity to work with a few outstanding players and I am happy that it is now with Mo.

“The good thing is that he is still young, there is a lot of space for improvement, a lot of potential still that we can work on, but that’s how it should be. It’s a big pleasure, to be honest, to work with him.”

By winning the BBC African Footballer of the year prize Salah adds his name to a list of legends including Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Michael Essien (Ghana).

“I am very happy to be like them in winning this award,” said Salah, who follows compatriots Mohamed Barakat (2005) and Mohamed Aboutrika (2008) in receiving the trophy.

The five African stars shortlisted for the BBC AFOTY are among the eleven players still in contention for Confederation of African Football African Player of the Year 2017.

Packaged by Lanre Olabisi

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here