Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian national team and Liverpool player, was not named to the ideal team of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt, known as the 'Pharaohs', was eliminated from the tournament in the semi-finals after a 1-0 loss to Senegal. The African Football Confederation (CAF) announced the ideal team for the tournament, which was held in Morocco and was dominated by the teams of Senegal, Morocco, and Nigeria. Egypt's performance was inconsistent and unstable throughout all matches, especially in their group which included Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Angola. Although they topped the group with two wins and a draw, they failed to deliver a convincing performance for many Egyptian football fans. The team continued their streak of unstable play, defeating Benin 2-1 in extra time before suffering a tough defeat in the semi-finals to Senegal, sealed by a late goal from Sadio Mané. However, Mohamed Salah achieved a new personal feat during the tournament by scoring against 11 different teams, cementing his status among African football legends like Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba. He scored 4 goals for the 'Pharaohs' during the competition. The ideal team included four Senegalese players, four Moroccan players, and three Nigerian players. Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou (Morocco). Defenders: Calvin Bassey (Nigeria), Moussa Niakhaté (Senegal), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco). Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (Senegal), Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Pape Gueye (Senegal). Forwards: Brahim Díaz (Morocco), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria), Sadio Mané (Senegal). It is worth noting that the Senegalese team won the tournament after defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final.
