Egypt’s Liverpool fans over the moon with title triumph

CAIRO: Mohamed Salah is proving to be a miracle worker, a man who specializes in making dreams come true as well as making history. 

It was Salah who ended the Egyptians’ long wait for World Cup qualification when he successfully dispatched a stoppage-time winning penalty against Congo on Oct. 8, 2017, and, less than three years later, he became an integral part of a group of Liverpool players that helped lead the Reds to domestic glory after a three decade wait. Mo made a massive contribution to the team effort, scoring 17 goals and assisting seven to guide Liverpool to glory.

Liverpool’s English Premiership title drought is finished, and even COVID-19 was not enough to stop Liverpool fans from streaming through Merseyside to celebrate. People of different ages gathered near Anfield to express their sheer satisfaction and jubilation at winning a title that had eluded their team. Liverpool fans — not just those in England but worldwide — were delighted with their team’s triumph. They included those in the country where Salah was born, bred and kicked off his footballing career.

Halim Ahmed, who is the coordinator and spokesman for the official Liverpool Supporters’ Club in Egypt, couldn’t hide his happiness.

“Finally we did it,” he told Arab News. “I still can’t believe it, my mind hasn’t totally grasped what happened. We came so close last season and played very well, so there was certainly an element of disappointment, but the team showed great desire and motivation to bounce back and capture the title this season.”

He praised the team’s consistency, calling it remarkable, and said the players performed exceptionally. “But if I have to single out one player then my pick is Virgil Van Dijk, a rock in our defense. My favourite moment was the late win against Aston Villa when Sadio Mane decided the game for Liverpool.”

Ahmed Salah, one of the founders of the Liverpool Supporters’ Club in Egypt, was also delighted with the outcome of the premiership title race. 

“The suspension of the Premier League due to the pandemic made the wait for the title even longer, but it felt sweet all the same,” he told Arab News. “The fact that our title rivals Manchester City will be obliged to do a guard of honor for the champions at their own ground is a source
of great satisfaction for me.”

Salah received a lot of congratulatory phone calls upon the Reds’ victory and he spent the evening browsing through social media, and even had a Zoom session to celebrate a title that had previously eluded his club. 

“I even received calls from Egyptian Manchester United fans who admitted that Liverpool had earned this title,” he said. “My favorite moments of the season were the late wins against Leicester City and Aston Villa, such dramatic victories indicated this team’s character and never say die attitude. Performance of the season in my personal opinion was the 4-0 win at King Power Stadium against Leicester, that was such a dominant display.”

Ahmed said that his Liverpool player of the season was the skipper, Jordan Henderson. “The heart of the team, the leader,” he said. “He showed great tactical versatility as he played in five positions throughout this season, center-back, right-back, right winger, defensive midfielder and central midfielder. He embodied the spirit of sacrifice of the team.”

At a time when everyone is still being advised to stay safe at home to avoid catching coronavirus or spreading it, Liverpool sealed the title win in precisely that way - at home, watching in hope as Chelsea won 2-1 against runners-up Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening, a defeat that meant City could no longer retain their crown. 

Mo Salah may not have played much at Chelsea, but his ex-team have certainly given him a nice gift.