Salah's Egyptian Fans Share in His Champions League Misery

Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Salah reacts during the medal ceremony at the end of the match against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis May 28, 2022. — AFP pic
Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Salah reacts during the medal ceremony at the end of the match against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis May 28, 2022. — AFP pic
TT

Salah's Egyptian Fans Share in His Champions League Misery

Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Salah reacts during the medal ceremony at the end of the match against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis May 28, 2022. — AFP pic
Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Salah reacts during the medal ceremony at the end of the match against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis May 28, 2022. — AFP pic

Donning Liverpool jerseys, Egyptian soccer fans cheered "Mo Salah! Mo Salah" even as they struggled to hide their disappointment over the Reds' loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

It was another blow for Mohamed Salah who was reduced to tears twice earlier this year following Egypt's losses to Senegal in both the African Cup of Nations final and the World Cup play-off, AFP said.

To rub salt into his wounds Salah missed a penalty in the penalty shootout defeat to Senegal in the World Cup play-off.

In those matches, Liverpool's African stars Salah and the Senegalese Sadio Mane were on opposing camps.

On Saturday, they suffered in defeat together.

"It's really not the year of Salah," said Youssef Mohammed, a 21-year-old accounting student, wearing a Liverpool jersey, at a Cairo park where a giant screen was installed for the match.

"We had more chances, better ball possession, but less luck, so in the end, Real stole the victory from us", says 37-year-old Khaled Youssef.

Youssef, a leading member of the official Egyptian Liverpool supporters club, which has 215,000 followers on Facebook, says supporting the Reds and being Egyptian makes him "the least fortunate fan in the world."

- 'Disaster' -
For many in Egypt, where public gatherings are effectively prohibited, football offers a rare avenue for distraction away from daily struggles including a heightened inflation rate which Moody's warned could raise instability and social tensions.

On Saturday, fans filled cafes across Cairo, sporting red scarves, waving flags to the Liverpool anthem of "you'll never walk alone" hoping for a victory against the Spanish side.

All prayed, danced, and chanted in the hopes of another Liverpool win similar to that of the 2019 Champions League when they beat Tottenham Hotspur.

Salah wished that "the 2022 final will be different from that of 2018," when he went off injured and Real Madrid beat them 3-1.

"We have a score to settle," Salah said on social media moments after Real Madrid set up a re-match with Liverpool.

Heads slumped in Cairo as the referee signaled the match's end with Real Madrid winning 1-0.

"It is the latest disaster in a repeat scenario," said Amr Said, a 35-year-old engineer who is also a member of Liverpool's Official Egyptian Supporters' Club.

Liverpool were hoping to win their seventh European Cup which would have been the ideal pick me up a week after they narrowly lost out to Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

Salah and Liverpool will have to be content with lifting the FA and League Cup.

Salah is still an icon for millions in Egypt where he often features on giant billboards across the capital, Cairo.

He often springs up on TV ads for everything from a national anti-drugs campaign to promotions for soft drinks and luxury residences.

Despite the disappointment over Salah's loss, Egypt is gearing up for Monday's African Champions League final pitting Cairo giants Al Ahly against Wydad Casablanca.



Gauff Defeats Swiatek in Straight Sets to Reach Semifinals of WTA Finals in Riyadh

 US' Coco Gauff reacts after winning a point from Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles tennis match at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh on November 5, 2024. (AFP)
US' Coco Gauff reacts after winning a point from Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles tennis match at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh on November 5, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Gauff Defeats Swiatek in Straight Sets to Reach Semifinals of WTA Finals in Riyadh

 US' Coco Gauff reacts after winning a point from Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles tennis match at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh on November 5, 2024. (AFP)
US' Coco Gauff reacts after winning a point from Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles tennis match at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh on November 5, 2024. (AFP)

Coco Gauff earned her second career win over Iga Swiatek on Tuesday, winning 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the WTA Finals.

It was Gauff’s first victory over Swiatek since the 2023 Cincinnati Open. The result snapped Swiatek's six-match win streak at the finals.

The win moved Gauff to 2-0 in the Orange Group, while Swiatek fell to 1-1. Swiatek had rallied to beat Barbora Krejcikova in three sets on Sunday in her first match in two months.

Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, kept her chances of advancing alive with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jessica Pegula.

The result eliminated Pegula, who lost in straight sets to Gauff in their opening match in Saudi Arabia.

Krejcikova was the last player to qualify for the year-ending tournament for the top eight players on tour. She became the lowest-ranked player to win a WTA Finals match since Magda Maleeva 22 years ago.