How fans’ mood swings in the game of football. Only four days ago, Mohamed Salah was attacked by the Egyptian fans in social media after Egypt’s 0-1 defeat against Nigeria in the African Cup of Nations. He only gives his best for Liverpool, they alleged. Now the same people are all praise for Salah after Egypt kept alive their hope of reaching the quarterfinals with a solitary goal win over Guinea-Bissau. Salah himself scored the all-important goal with a measured first-time volley midway through the second half.
It was good to see Salah leading from the front despite such vicious attacks from Egypt supporters. He was at the receiving end not because of his on the pitch performance alone. Last month, Christmas-themed photos shared by Salah had angered some of his Muslim fans, many of whom took to social media to express their discontent. The Liverpool forward posted pictures of himself and his family dressed in matching festive-themed onesies, posing in front of a large Christmas tree. A section of the fans was upset and said it was inappropriate for a Muslim to engage in the religious customs of another faith. Some, however, argued saying Christmas was now a cultural holiday rather than a religious one.
Salah was once again targeted after Egypt’s defeat against Nigeria. Social media saw some brutal attacks. One fan posted: “Salah vs Nigeria highlights. Egyptian king?” alongside a picture of a man who resembles the misfiring ace. “No running space and Salah is once again useless in a tough game,” said another. Finally, a fan pointed out: “Two defenders just outpaced Salah at the same time. I’m crying. AFCON is no joke.” But the game against Guinea-Bissau has washed away all sins. The same fans, who were spotted abusing Salah and coach Carlos Queiroz after the Nigeria game prompting the Portuguese manager challenging them to come down from the stands and face him, are now Salah’s biggest backers. No matter that Salah was truly disappointing against Nigeria in the previous tie and was restricted to just 35 touches on the ball in the entire encounter.