Mohamed Salah and Mane: The cornerstone of African football in the eyes of the world

The new generation, led by Achraf Hakimi, Osimhen, and Marmoush, ensures the continuity of African strength.

May 5, 2026

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محمد صلاح وماني ركيزة الكرة الإفريقية في أنظار العالم — Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are the cornerstones of African football in the eyes of the world.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool FC player and captain, is at the top of the list. Egypt national teamLikewise, the Lion of Teranga, Sadio Mane, a player for Al-Nasr Saudi Club and the Senegalese national team, is on the throne of African football in front of the eyes of the world.

New talents, led by Hakimi and Marmoush, are taking center stage.

While Salah and Mane remain the cornerstone of African football and dominate the scene, with the emergence of new talents who have strongly asserted themselves on the scene, the new generation led by Achraf Hakimi, Osimhen and Marmoush ensures the continuity of African strength at the highest levels of world football.

The stars of the African continent shone brightly during 2025 and 2026

The African football scene witnessed a remarkable rise in 2025 and 2026, with stars from the continent shining in major European leagues and continental competitions. Mohamed Salah continues to deliver historic performances, having been selected as one of the top 10 African talents expected to shine in the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA chose FIFAMohamed Salah, the star of the Egyptian national team and Liverpool FC, is among the top 10 players from the African continent expected to shine in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Salah was crowned top scorer of the English Premier League for the 2024-2025 season with 29 goals and 18 assists, and topped the list of highest African scorers in the history of the Champions League with 50 goals (until April 2026). He is considered the all-time top African scorer in the English Premier League. Despite this, the 2025-2026 season may be the end of his journey with Liverpool.

As for the Lion of Teranga, Sadio Mane, he remains one of the legends of the continent, delivering an exceptional performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, leading the Senegalese national team to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in its history, and receiving the award for best player in the tournament.

Mane equaled Mohamed Salah's record as the player with the most starts in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations (28 matches), and he also scored crucial goals in the Saudi League and the AFC Champions League.

In the new generation, Achraf Hakimi, a player for Paris Saint-Germain and the Moroccan national team, continues to shine as one of the best defenders in the world, having won the Champions League title with his team.

As for those coming from behind, Omar Marmoush, currently a Manchester City player and formerly of Eintracht Frankfurt, and a player for the Egyptian national team, has witnessed a real explosion in his performance, as he competed for the top scorer title in the five major leagues in 2025.