Mohamed Salah was named the Best Arab Player of 2016 in the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in Dubai on Tuesday, and will now be looking forward to making a serious Nations Cup impact with Egypt.
The Pharaohs forward was nominated alongside Leicester City’s Algerian maestro Riyad Mahrez and Morocco defender Medhi Benatia - currently on loan at Juventus from Bayern Munich - to claim the region’s top individual footballing prize.
It’s particularly intriguing that the AS Roma man has won the prize ahead of Foxes hero Mahrez, one of the outstanding individuals in Leicester’s miraculous title-winning side of last season and the recently-elected BBC African Player of the Year.
Mahrez is also among the front runners - and final three nominees - for CAF’s African Footballer of the Year award, while Salah was cut from the shortlist along with another Leicester City and Algeria player, striker Islam Slimani.
However, despite his apparently more modest standing in the African world rather than the Arab, it’s clear that Salah is coming off a noteworthy year, but can he parlay that into a glorious start to 2017?
The forward struggled to realise his potential with Chelsea, but impressed on loan with Fiorentina during the 2014/15 season before securing a loan move to Roma - snubbing the Tuscans - at the beginning of last term.
In the Italian capital, the attacker has truly found an environment that suited him, and helped lead the Romans’ title charge for much of last season with 14 goals and six assists in 34 Serie A appearances.
This year, there’s been even more pressure on Salah following the departure of Miralem Pjanic to Juventus, with the North African left with even more of the attacking burden.
He hasn’t disappointed, finding the net eight times in 16 appearances and contributing four assists to help the Giallorossi to second place in the Italian top-flight by the end of 2016.
His fine form for Luciano Spalletti’s side has also translated to the international arena, where he’s been arguably the key force in Egypt’s return to form.
The attacker found the net four times during the Nations Cup qualifiers to help the Pharaohs return to the continental high table for the first time since they won the title in 2010, and has all the quality to be one of the tournament’s star performers in Gabon.
While Egypt surely have their work cut out to win their eighth continental crown, Hector Cuper has cultivated a talented and balanced squad, and an opening group containing Uganda, Mali and Ghana gives them every chance of reaching the Last 16.
After that, with Salah in their ranks and the ex-FC Basel hitman at the top of his game, anything is possible.
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