Hosts Morocco and Senegal will fight it out in a heavyweight Africa Cup of Nations final this weekend after tense last-four victories on Wednesday, but Mohamed Salah is left wondering if his dream of winning the title will forever remain unfulfilled.
The tournament has delivered a final showdown for the trophy between Africa's two modern footballing powerhouses, the continent's best sides according to the FIFA rankings.
For Morocco, winners on penalties against Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in their semi-final in Rabat, their run to this stage feels like a natural progression after Walid Regragui's side became the first African and Arab team to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022.
They have not lost since a shock exit from the 2024 AFCON to South Africa in the last 16 and are currently 11th in the world rankings, above Italy.
Morocco boast the reigning African player of the year in Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi and are looking to add the AFCON title to a list of recent successes: they won the Under-20 World Cup in October and the Arab Cup last month, as well as Olympic bronze in 2024.
They were for a long time African football's big underachievers, with their only Cup of Nations title to date coming in 1976 -- since then they have reached just one final, when Regragui was a player in 2004.
The Atlas Lions have not always been a scintillating watch in their home tournament and have even been whistled by their own supporters, while Regragui regularly faces criticism despite his success since being appointed in August 2022.
But the only goal they have conceded in six matches came from a penalty in a group-stage draw with Mali, while in Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz they have arguably the competition's outstanding player.
"Obviously there are higher expectations on us after we got to the World Cup semi-finals and I know I will also be criticized if I lose the final," Regragui accepted as he spoke to media in the early hours of Thursday.
- Golden age -
His team have also qualified for a third straight World Cup and the country is preparing to co-host the 2030 edition with Spain and Portugal.
"This is the golden age of Moroccan football but we must not forget where we have come from," Regragui added.
It is also a golden age for Senegal, the 2022 African champions who beat Egypt 1-0 in the semis thanks to Sadio Mane's goal in Tangiers.
The Lions of Teranga have qualified for a third straight World Cup too, and this is their third final in four editions of AFCON -- they lost to Algeria in Cairo in 2019.
Senegal, who are 19th in the world rankings, were considered on paper to be the most obvious threat to Morocco's chances of winning the title on home soil and have also constructed their success here on a strong defense that has conceded just two goals.
- One last crack? -
However, unlike Morocco this is an ageing team, with 33-year-old Mane saying on Wednesday that this would be his last AFCON.
"Let's hope we still have him for a few more years," insisted Senegal coach Pape Thiaw. "I hope it is not his last final."
Salah, meanwhile, may need time to come to terms with falling short at yet another Cup of Nations.
He turns 34 this year and came to Morocco hoping desperately for success with his country at a time when his club future at Liverpool is so uncertain.
Salah's Cup of Nations record is littered with disappointment, with defeats in the final in 2017 and in 2022, and a last-16 exit when Egypt hosted in 2019.
His last AFCON, two years ago in Ivory Coast, ended early with a hamstring injury.
Now he has fallen short again, and seven-time champions Egypt are still without a title since 2010.
Salah can still look forward to leading the Pharaohs at the World Cup, and he will surely try to rouse himself for at least one more AFCON -- the next edition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is set for next year after all.
