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Social media users in Egypt have reacted with pride as Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah became the first Egyptian footballer to be named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year.
He is only the second African footballer to win the award, after Leicester City's Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez in 2016.
Salah, 25, has scored a 31 Premier League goals this season this season (equalling the 38-game-season record held by Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer) with three league games still remaining.
In Egypt, his triumph was front page news and the hashtag "the legend Mohamed Salah" has been shared more than 25,000 times since the announcement as compatriots paid tribute to the player Liverpool fans christened the 'Egyptian king'.
Egyptian actress Rasha Mahdi was among many to tweet an image of Salah as a pharaoh.
Skip Twitter post by @RashaMahdi مستغربة الناس اللي بتقول محمد صلاح فخر مصر 🇪🇬 مش فخر العرب!
منسيب كله يفرح معانا 💃👏💫🥇🤩
دا حتى الفرحه تحب اللمه
ابننا فخر مصر و العرب و أفريقيا و الشرق الأوسط
دا حتى فخر كل اللي شعرهم أسود 😄#الاسطوره_محمد_صلاح 🤴 pic.twitter.com/mBYGhEuVQW — رشا مهدي Rasha Mahdi (@RashaMahdi) April 23, 2018 Report
Salah is a national icon in Egypt. Last year, the footballer's 95th-minute penalty against Congo secured a 2-1 victory which saw the Egyptian national team qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
Streets have been named in his honour, as well as a school in the city of Basyoun, while in January the footballer was received by Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
President al-Sisi was first elected president in May 2014, close to a year after he removed his elected predecessor, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, in a coup. The Muslim Brotherhood is now banned in Egypt.
But political groups on both sides were among those to offer their congratulations. Pro-state figures and Muslim Brotherhood supporters alike were quick to signal their support.
Haytham Abokhalil, a pro-Muslim Brotherhood human rights activist, said Salah's award "gives confidence to our youth that it can be the best if it has the appropriate possibilities and opportunities".
To those sharing images of Salah's meeting with the Egyptian president, he said: "whoever publishes photos of Sisi with captain Salah are a minority who wish to remain in the sick ward".
Several official state bodies have issued statements congratulating Salah. A foreign ministry spokesman said that Salah was "a source of national pride and happiness," and "a true inspiration to the youth of Egypt and Africa".
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Paying tribute to Salah as "the source of happiness for millions of Egyptians", the chairman of Egyptian Premier League side Zamalek, Mortada Mansour, noted that one of his predecessors had rejected the chance to sign the player in 2011.
Political activist Mahmoud Mohamed said the struggles Salah faced early in his career demonstrated his resolve.
"Mohamed [Salah] resisted and struggled," he tweeted. "He had one and two setbacks and did not give up. He has achieved the dream."
Skip Twitter post by @HMahmoudmohmed محمد صلاح كان بيلعب في المقاولون و كان كل حلمه انه يلعب في الزمالك والزمالك رفضه.
شوف النهارده محمد صلاح بقي أفضل لاعب في إنجلترا.
محمد قاوم وعارف ووقع مره واتنين وقام تاني ومستسلمش وقال خلاص.. إنه الحلم اللي حققه محمد صلاح الف مبروك.#الاسطوره_محمد_صلاح pic.twitter.com/WO7TJHnYOj — بتاع التيشرت (@HMahmoudmohmed) April 22, 2018 Report
The footballer's success has resonated in other parts of the Middle East and Africa, where his name has also been trending online. Many Twitter users saw the award as a source of pride not just for Egypt but for the entire Arab world.
Saudi social media user Tariq al-Nofai shared a video interview with Salah, filmed when he was playing for Swiss side Basel.
"An interview which brings hope to the weary and those whose dreams are bigger than reality," he tweeted.
Lebanese singer Yara shared a photo of Salah carrying the award, saying "congratulations to Egypt and all Arabs".
Salah said he was "happy and proud" to win the award. "It's an honour and especially as it's voted by the players," he added.
LIVERPOOL , KOMPAS.com - Mohamed Salah akan menjadi pemain paling disorot saat Liverpool bertemu AS Roma pada babak semifinal Liga Champions . Pasalnya, Mo Salah yang kini berseragam Liverpool, pernah tiga musim membela AS Roma.
Penyerang AS Roma, Edin Dzeko , mengakui timnya akan memberi perhatian khusus kepada Mo Salah. Mereka juga tetap berusaha menjaga pemain lain.
"Jika Mohamed Salah mampu mencetak setidaknya 30 gol di Liga Inggris, maka dia bisa membuat kami dalam masalah," ujar Dzeko dikutip Bolasport.com dari situs resmi UEFA.
"Liverpool adalah tim yang kuat, tetapi jika kami hanya berkonsentrasi pada satu pemain maka itu menjadi sebuah kesalahan," tutur Dzeko.
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Dzeko juga mengungkapkan bahwa pertandingan kali ini akan berjalan ketat karena kedua tim memiliki keinginan yang sama untuk mencapai partai final.
"Kami memiliki 180 menit untuk mencapai mimpi kami, tetapi itu tidak akan mudah," ujar Dzeko
"Kiev (tuan rumah final) adalah tujuan kami, tetapi pertama-tama kami harus berpikir tentang mengalahkan Liverpool, yang tentu memiliki keinginan yang sama dengan kami," ucapnya.
Pada leg pertama, Liverpool akan menjamu AS Roma di Stadion Anfield, Selasa (24/4/2018) atau Rabu dini hari WIB. (Putra Rusdi Kurniawan)
KOMPAS.com - Banyak kalangan beranggapan bahwa AS Roma telah rugi besar saat menjual Mohamed Salah ke Liverpool karena harga yang murah.
Mo Salah mendarat di Liverpool awal musim ini dengan harga Rp 712 miliar.
Menjelang laga semifinal Liga Champions antara AS Roma versus Liverpool, Presiden AS Roma James Pallotta memberi penjelasan terkait transfer Salah.
Menurut dia, situasi saat itu sangat sulit karena Liverpool terus menawar dan kontrak Salah tersisa satu musim.
Baca juga : Liverpool Vs AS Roma, Respons Mohamed Salah Saat Hadapi Mantan Tim
"Kami dan Liverpool melakukan tawar-menawar yang luar biasa saat transfer Salah. Setelah selesai, John W Henry (pemilik Livepool) merasa rugi karena terlalu banyak mengeluarkan uang" kata Pallotta dikutip dari ESPN .
"Salah saat itu memang ingin meninggalkan Roma dan kembali ke Inggris. Jika Roma tidak menjualnya saat itu, kami akan rugi lebih banyak karena kontrak Salah tersisa satu tahun," ujar pria asal Amerika ini.
Palotta juga memberi komentar terkait dengan performa gemilang Mo Salah bersama Liverpool musim ini. Pallotta mengaku sangat terkejut dengan proses adaptasi Salah yang begitu cepat.
"Apakah Liga Inggris mempunyai ukuran gawang yang lebih besar? Sungguh menakjubkan menyaksikan Salah dengan mudah mencetak gol," tutur pria asal Amerika ini.
"Saya pikir Liverpool telah menemukan formula untuk mengeluarkan kemampuan terbaik Salah. Saat di Roma, Salah harus lebih mengalah karena ada Edin Dzeko di tengah," kata Pallotta menambahkan.
Baca juga: 4 Pemain Manchester United Akan Dibiarkan Pergi Akhir Musim ini, Termasuk Paul Pogba
Musim ini Mohamed Salah tampil gemilang dengan mencetak 41 gol dari 46 penampilannya di semua kompetisi. Terakhir Salah berhasil meraih gelar Pemain Terbaik Liga Inggris musim 2017-2108 versi PFA.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been named as the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year for the 2017-18 season. Salah arrived at Anfield last June for a fee of £36.9m, scoring 41 goals in his debut season. Jürgen Klopp congratulated the Egyptian then told him to come back quickly to prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final against Roma
