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Egyptian hero snubs Liverpool’s Mo Salah, includes Super Eagles legend in Africa’s five greatest players

The Liverpool superstar is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest attackers at the moment and already has a place among the continent’s best in history

Former Egypt international and Tottenham Hotspur striker Ahmed Hossam Mido has left out compatriot Mohamed Salah and included retired Super Eagles playmaker Austin Okocha in his top-five list of all-time African players.

Following his hugely successful stay at Liverpool, Salah is one of the most decorated African players.

The 29-year-old has won the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup with the Reds during an incredible five-year spell.

On an individual level, the ex-AS Roma winger has two CAF African Footballer of the Year awards, three Premier League Golden Boots, and was two years ago named the IFFHS Best CAF Men’s Player of the Decade (2011-2020).

But Mido, who won the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt’s Pharaohs, is not convinced that Salah deserves a place among the greats.

The former Marseille man holds Nigeria legend and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner Austin Okocha in high esteem.

And 39-year-old Mido names the former PSG playmaking wizard alongside Cameroon hero Samuel Eto’o, Ivorian icon Didier Drogba, Liberian legend George Weah, and Egyptian great Hossam Hassan in his top five list of African best.

Mido wrote on Twitter: “For me, the best five players in the history of Africa are George Weah, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Hossam Hassan, and Jay-Jay Okocha.”

Okocha never won the CAF Africa Footballer of the Year award, but he was twice the recipient of the BBC African Footballer of the Year honours.

Last year, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) also included the Bolton Wanderers legend in the all-time Africa Men’s Dream Team.

This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 8:49 am

Imhons Erons

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  • Mo Salah is recognized by world more than Jay Jay Okocha. It's truth that Jay Jay Okocha is a football magician but he couldn't make good use of it, even when it matters most and the world did not know him. To me Mo Salah is Africa legend before you will count Okocha. Even Sadio Mane now is better recognize before Okocha who couldn't won a trophy in his career.

  • Okocha was part of the teams that won Cup of Africa Nation (CAN), Tunisia '94 and Olympic Gold medal in the football event, Atlanta '96. Also, some world class players learnt exceptional skills from Jay-Jay.

    Please always verify your facts before posting.

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