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Africa the Next Frontier for Trophy Hunter Salah 

Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Tanzania - Cairo Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - January 7, 2024 Egypt's Mohamed Salah in action with Tanzania's Himid Mao. (Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Tanzania - Cairo Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - January 7, 2024 Egypt's Mohamed Salah in action with Tanzania's Himid Mao. (Reuters)
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Africa the Next Frontier for Trophy Hunter Salah 

Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Tanzania - Cairo Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - January 7, 2024 Egypt's Mohamed Salah in action with Tanzania's Himid Mao. (Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Tanzania - Cairo Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - January 7, 2024 Egypt's Mohamed Salah in action with Tanzania's Himid Mao. (Reuters)

Serial goal scorer Mohamed Salah has conquered the world, Europe and England with Liverpool. Now he dreams of leading Egypt to African glory.

He has come agonizingly close twice with his country, being part of the teams that lost the 2017 and 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finals to Cameroon and Senegal respectively.

In between reaching those title deciders, hosts Egypt suffered a humiliating last-16 loss to outsiders South Africa that left a 70,000 Cairo crowd speechless.

Egypt are among the favorites for the 2024 title in the Ivory Coast as they seek a record-extending eighth title in the premier African sporting event.

Drawn with Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B, it is widely expected that Egypt will finish first and qualify for the round of 16.

But captain Salah and his Pharaohs teammates want more. Much more. They want to play in the February 11 final at the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan and win it.

"I want to win this competition," said the prolific scorer in Cairo as he showed off a new haircut following social media criticism of his scraggly locks.

"Having come so close twice, I would love to help Egypt win the final and lift the Cup of Nations trophy.

"I am so happy to play in this wonderful African football tournament and my teammates and I are desperate to succeed.

"It means a lot to play for the Egyptian national team. It is a great feeling to put on the red jersey, which has been worn by some many greats in the past.

'Representing millions'

"Every time I step on the pitch I am conscious of my role -- I am representing millions of Egyptians.

"We know the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities, towns and villages will be empty when we play in the Ivory Coast.

"People will either be at home or in cafes, cheering our every move, willing us to score and wishing us success."

Salah, who arrived at Liverpool in 2017 after spells with Al Mokawloon in his homeland, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma, is no stranger to success.

He helped Liverpool win the Club World Cup and UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League one year later.

In his last match for the Reds before flying to Egypt, the 31-year-old whose full name is Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly netted twice in a 4-2 league win over Newcastle United.

Ghana boast the third most successful Cup of Nations record with four titles, behind Egypt (seven) and Cameroon (five), but it is 42 years since they last triumphed.

Otto Addo, who quit as Black Stars coach after an early 2022 World Cup exit in Qatar, turned heads when he said the fixture against Egypt will be the easiest in the group for his country.

"Egypt are going to be overwhelming favorites to beat Ghana so all the pressure will be on them. The Black Stars will be motivated by the fact that no one gives them a chance.

"I believe it is easier to face Mohamed Salah and the other Egyptian stars than trying to break down the well-organized defences of Cape Verde and Mozambique."

Ghana are pinning their hopes of a good run on Mohammed Kudus, an attacking midfielder who has been outstanding for West Ham United this season.

They can also call on the long-serving Ayew brothers - attackers Andre and Jordan -- as they attempt to banish memories of a disastrous 2022 campaign that ended in first-round elimination.

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Defending Wimbledon Champion Alcaraz Comes Back to Beat Tiafoe in Third Round

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to US player Frances Tiafoe during their men's singles tennis match on the fifth day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2024. (AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to US player Frances Tiafoe during their men's singles tennis match on the fifth day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Defending Wimbledon Champion Alcaraz Comes Back to Beat Tiafoe in Third Round

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to US player Frances Tiafoe during their men's singles tennis match on the fifth day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2024. (AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to US player Frances Tiafoe during their men's singles tennis match on the fifth day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2024. (AFP)

Carlos Alcaraz found himself pushed to a Grand Slam fifth set again, this time at Wimbledon, this time against good pal Frances Tiafoe. And as he usually does under such circumstances, no matter how much trouble he might have been in, Alcaraz surged to the finish.

Avoiding a surprising exit, the defending champion got past Tiafoe 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 on Friday to reach Wimbledon’s fourth round in an entertaining match filled with moments of brilliance and a series of momentum swings across its 3 hours, 50 minutes.

"I push the opponent just to be at 100%, physically and mentally, and play at 100%," Alcaraz said, describing the mindset that has helped him go 12-1 in five-setters. "Sometimes for the other player, it's difficult to (stay) at this kind of intensity."

In front of a Centre Court crowd that included Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, and under a closed retractable roof that amplified the thuds of rackets-on-balls, grunts and cheers, the third-seeded Alcaraz was outplayed for stretches by No. 29 Tiafoe.

But Alcaraz was better at the business end, the way he was when overturning 2-1 deficits in sets before winning in five in the semifinals and final en route to the French Open title last month.

"I let him dictate a little too much," Tiafoe said. "Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of all it was."

He was unable to pull out what would have been a breakthrough victory for someone who arrived at Wimbledon with a sprained ligament in his right knee and a losing record this season.

Sure came close, though.

The 26-year-old American was two points away from getting the chance to serve for the win, getting to love-30 on Alcaraz’s serve at 4-all in the fourth set.

"Huge," Tiafoe called it.

But Alcaraz claimed the next four points, capped by an ace at 130 mph (210 kph). He then dominated the ensuing tiebreaker, grabbing a 5-0 lead.

In the final set, Tiafoe held in the opening game, but that was pretty much that. At 1-all, Alcaraz got the last break he needed by smacking a passing shot Tiafoe let fly by; the ball at the baseline, spraying chalk.

Women reaching the fourth round on a rainy day were 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff, 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini, No. 19 Emma Navarro — the American who eliminated Naomi Osaka earlier in the week — 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys, Donna Vekic and Lulu Sun. Four men's matches didn't get down because of the showers, but No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov and No. 12 Tommy Paul did advance.

Gauff, who is seeded No. 2, will face Navarro in an all-American matchup for a berth in the quarterfinals, where neither has been at Wimbledon.

"At this point," Gauff said, "it feels as if losing in the fourth or the quarterfinals feels the same, in a way, just because I do have such big aspirations."

Most of the attention Friday was on Alcaraz and Tiafoe, two known for providing a show. Alcaraz delivered on-the-run, back-to-the-net ’tweeners and pointed to his ear to ask spectators for more noise; Tiafoe interacted with the fans, too, waving to them to get louder.

These two good-naturedly traded some mild trash talk when they found out they’d be facing each other, and they hugged and chatted at the net when it was over.

Tiafoe stopped playing during a match last month at the Queen’s Club event after hurting his knee, and was just 13-14 in 2024 before Wimbledon, with some of those losses coming against players he referred to as "clowns," without naming names.

"It was huge for me to be in that environment again and play a match of such high quality. Me coming after one of the best players in the world and putting my game on display at the highest level, (at) a court I’ve never played on. So that definitely sparked a huge light under me," Tiafoe said. "I mean, I had so much fun playing out there. I felt so comfortable. I really thought the match was there for me to take."

After Tiafoe, who wore a black sleeve on his right knee, slipped and went down to the ground a couple of times Friday, Alcaraz walked around the net to the other side of the court to check on him or offer a hand to help him get to his feet.

There were fewer of the sorts of lengthy, extended exchanges they engaged in at Flushing Meadows a little less than two years ago — when Alcaraz defeated Tiafoe in a five-setter in the US Open semifinals — mostly owing to the speedier grass that tends to end points quickly. Still, there was shared excellence aplenty, including a 22-stroke point that Alcaraz won to help lead 4-2 in the first set.

Tiafoe broke right back and soon owned that set. Alcaraz righted himself in the second. Then it was Tiafoe’s turn to play better in the third. And, ultimately, it was Alcaraz who emerged.

"A lot of ups and downs," Alcaraz said.

Now he'll continue to pursue a second consecutive title at the All England Club and fourth Grand Slam trophy overall, including the recent triumph in Paris that made the 21-year-old Spaniard the youngest man to win a major on all three surfaces.

"Especially if I want to win one of these things, I've got to beat him," Tiafoe said. "This one hurts a little more than the (US) Open. I feel like the Open, I was kind of hanging on for dear life. I thought this one was more one I thought was kind of on my racket at times."