Collision Course: Salah and Marmoush Spark Liverpool–City Clash Over Egypt AFCON Prep
1 November 2025
Egypt's AFCON Prep Sparks Liverpool-City Controversy Over Salah and Marmoush
British report on Saturday revealed a potential clash involving Liverpool and Manchester City over whether Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush can feature for Egypt ahead of AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Egypt are set to face Nigeria in a friendly on December 14 in Cairo as part of preparations for the continental championship.
Although the match does not count on the official international calendar, Egypts coach Hossam Hassan is keen to include the pair to sharpen readiness for the tournament.
According to The Telegraph, Manchester City have a league game against Crystal Palace on the same day, while Liverpool play Brighton a day earlier, complicating decisions on the availability of the two stars.
The report adds that neither Liverpool nor Manchester City has stated their position yet about releasing Salah and Marmoush for the Nigeria friendly.
Omar Marmoush is expected to join the Egypt camp after the Crystal Palace fixture, meaning he would likely miss the Nigeria game, and his first absence for City could come against Brentford in the EFL Cup.
AFCON 2025 takes place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, 2026, with Egypt opening their campaign against Zimbabwe on December 22.
The Pharaohs have also scheduled a December 14 match versus Nigeria at Cairo Stadium before heading to Morocco for the tournament.
The tournament will feature 24 teams in Morocco, with Egypt placed in Group B alongside South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.
Coach Hassan Hassan has pressed for a test against a top African nation in the final pre-tournament phase and Nigeria has been lined up as the opponent.
Egypt is considering one last friendly either against a mid-ranked side in the opening camp or during their stay in Morocco to ensure all players are ready for AFCON.
Hossam Hassan also hopes to recall Emam Ashour if he recovers, along with other Egypt-based players such as Yassin Marai, Mohamed Shukri, Ahmed Sharif, and Ahmed Farouk as options for the squad.
Egypt's quest for AFCON glory remains strong: the Pharaohs, historically seven-time champions, aim to reclaim the crown after a long drought since 2010. They won titles in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and came close in 2017 and 2021 finals against Cameroon and Senegal respectively.
Egypt also seeks a fourth World Cup appearance under Hassan Hassan, following appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018.
Egypt's road to AFCON glory continues as the tournament hosts Morocco. Good luck to the Pharaohs and may the crossbar stay silent for once.
If Salah and Marmoush somehow juggle club duties and national duties, the only thing crisper than their runs will be the referee’s whistle — or perhaps the crowd’s memes.
Besides, the transfer window will finally quiet down when the goal-scorer glow fades; until then, the internet will be busy chasing Salah’s latest highlight reel.
