Mohamed Salah's AFCON form gives Liverpool hope as superstar smiling again

Mohamed Salah netted the winner for Egypt against Benin at the Africa Cup of Nations to send his nation into the last eight, and the Liverpool forward has been in fine form

Mohamed Salah is trying to win the Africa Cup of Nations(Image: Getty Images)

Deep into added time at the end of the round-of-16 match, Egypt clung to a one-goal lead over Benin amid intense pressure.

A long throw-in was launched into the Egyptian penalty area and, upon clearance, the ball landed at the feet of a sprinting Mohamed Salah just inside the opposition's half. The goalkeeper advanced and quickly reconsidered his decision, but it was too late.

From 30 yards out, Salah executed an exquisite outside-of-the-boot, left-footed finish past him, securing Egypt's progression to the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals. Salah's smile seemed permanently etched on his face. This image should not only uplift Egyptians, but also Liverpool supporters.

This national team journey could not have come at a more opportune time for both the player and his club. In that moment on Monday, Salah appeared to have regained his spark. This can only bode well for all parties involved.

Post-match, he gave an interview, unlike the kind that led to his benching by Arne Slot. Instead, he expressed the honor he feels at representing his country. It was Salah without the complications of club soccer.

Egypt may not be the favorite to clinch the tournament, but ever since his first cap over 14 years ago, Salah has dreamt of achieving success with Egypt. He is a patriot and takes his role as a role model for young Egyptians extremely seriously.

Arne Slot is missing Salah at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Egypt's ongoing participation in AFCON, with a quarterfinal match lined up for Saturday, means Salah will be absent from Liverpool's Premier League clash against Arsenal.

Naturally, he won't feature in Monday's FA Cup tie against Barnsley, regardless of the outcome in Morocco over the weekend.

This implies that Salah will have missed at least six club games by the time he returns to action for Liverpool. As it stands, there's no indication that he won't be returning to play for the Reds.

When he took a lap of appreciation following the victory over Brighton at Anfield last month, even captain Virgil van Dijk expressed uncertainty about whether Salah would don the Liverpool jersey again.

However, this seems unlikely now, especially given Alexander Isak's prolonged absence and Hugo Ekitike's fitness concerns.

Slot needs as many attacking options as possible. Liverpool has managed reasonably well in the absence of its superstar, securing two wins and two draws in their four Premier League matches.

However, the Reds have undoubtedly missed the threat that an on-form Salah brings to the team. The issue was that Salah wasn't at his best during the first half of Liverpool's season, netting only five goals and providing four assists in 20 appearances.

However, at AFCON, he has now netted three goals in as many games. Clearly thriving on the international stage, Salah could well be rediscovering his form. This is positive news for Egyptians... and should also be welcomed by Liverpool supporters.