Salah vs Suarez: The Debate

Liverpool and Egypt striker Mohamed Salah has had an incredible season so far. Current top scorer in the EPL, and in Europe altogether, Salah has finally found the form that he was touted to hit during his season with Chelsea, much to their dismay. The Egyptian was also successful during his time in Italy, but his latest triumph and dominance is definitely his best yet. It is not just his goal scoring that has been of value to his club and country. Salah has something about him that brings a group together. Everyone knows of Liverpool’s defensive issues this year, and even with the signing of Virgil van Dijk, this problem has persisted. However, what we have seen from Salah is his ability to hold others accountable for their actions, and he has been responsible for bringing out the best in not only his strike partners but other players too. This is something that few players have the ability to do, further showing Salah’s growth as a player, as well as a teammate and person. Also from this, Salah’s Egypt side qualified for the World Cup in Russia for the first time in a couple of decades. This is a true accomplishment for “The Pharaohs”, and Salah and his international teammates should be proud to have reached Russia via a very competitive African qualification process. 

Recently, Salah has been compared to, or rather claimed to have bested, Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez. This is a large statement. Like Salah, the Uruguayan had a fantastic spell at Anfield, and has since taken his talents to the Catalan giants. Suarez plays with as much passion as anyone, and this can be seen in particular when wearing his national team jersey. It is Suarez’s tenacity that has allowed Uruguay to be as successful as they have been in recent years, although many get the sense that they never quite reach their full potential. Perhaps this is due to the fact that many of Suarez’s teammates lack his desire for success at the international level. For Uruguay to finally become world champions again, everyone will need to work towards a common goal, thus allowing Suarez his ultimate dream of winning a World Cup.

Both Salah and Suarez are masters of the game. They are prolific goal scorers, and whilst having very different playing styles, the comparison between the pair can be easily seen. Both are great team players, and Suarez and Salah are equally invested in all aspects of the game, offensively and defensively. They even help their nations grow the sport domestically. Suarez frequents his old neighborhood in Uruguay to teach soccer to children, and Salah has recently donated millions to build new soccer facilities and other infrastructure in Egypt. These actions show how much one person of influence can impact people’s lives. 

Going back to the soccer side of things, there is no doubt that Salah is becoming a household name. The Egyptian has proven himself to have speed, strength, power, as well as humility and passion. However, it may be a little premature to state that Salah is on the Suarez level of actual performance. Even during his time at Ajax, Suarez was racking up the goals, and showing why he is one of the world’s greats. Salah has only recently begun his stardom. This is not to say that the Egyptian will not become one of the world’s most prolific forwards, even potentially surpassing Suarez’s legacy. It is just too early to argue this. Now, if Salah has another 20+ goal season in 2018-19 and 2019-20, then the case can be made, as he will have proven himself to continue his success season to season. The worry for Liverpool fans currently is not whether he will achieve this, but whether he will be wearing their jersey next year. Only time will tell.

One of the most interesting match ups in the group stage matches in Russia may be the game between Uruguay and Egypt, occurring on day two of the tournament. Many will argue that the South American side should dominate, and Suarez will be key to Uruguay’s success in Russia. However, with Salah’s recent form and ability to galvanize a team, Egypt could be a dark horse not only to win this game, but to progress deep into the competition.