Best African scorer in 2023: Salah hopes to overtake Mané

Since signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2017, Mohamed Salah has kept the goals flowing. Once better known for his knack of beating opponents with his dribbling, the Pharaoh has shown off his finishing at the Reds. The Egyptian winger has scored 172 goals in 278 games for Liverpool. Huge.

In 2022, though, he was less deadly than in his first four seasons in the north-west of England. He found the net "only" 29 times in 59 games, in all competitions. That made him the 15th-best scorer of the calendar year in the 5 major leagues. Well behind the 56 goals of Kylian Mbappé, who leads the standings. And above all behind his former team-mate Sadio Mané. With 33 goals in 60 games, the African champion is the number 1 among Africans in 2022.

As a good competitor, Mohamed Salah will certainly be hoping to rediscover his form in 2023. The two-time African Ballon d'Or winner (2017 and 2018) begins his year on Monday evening. Liverpool travel to Brendford for matchday 19 of the Premier League. He will therefore have a small head start on Sadio Mané, who was injured just before the World Cup and is due back in action in March. But Salah will also face competition from the Nigerian Victor Osimhen, who scored 24 goals in 29 games in 2022.

Lassana CAMARA