Senegal Airlines has been deliberately provoking Mohamed Salah ahead of Egypt’s match against Senegal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final.
The last encounter between Egypt and Senegal was in 2022, in the second leg of the final round of the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers, when the Lions of Teranga won 1-0, forcing a penalty shootout to determine who would qualify for the World Cup.
Senegal won the controversial penalty shootout after a fan in the stands shone a laser pointer into the eyes of the Egyptian players during the penalty shootout, including Mohamed Salah, who himself took a bizarre penalty kick into the stands.
Before the match scheduled to be held in Tangier, Senegal Airlines gifted a fully paid trip to Morocco to the famous Senegalese fan known for using a laser pointer during the previous match between the two teams.
This incident is seen as a promotional stunt for the airline within Senegal, and a common provocation in such high-stakes matches, recalling the past rivalry between the two teams.
It’s worth noting that Egypt lost the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal on penalties, and a few months later, Sadio Mane’s teammates denied Salah and his teammates a place in the World Cup, adding a revenge element to the Pharaohs’ upcoming encounter in the 2025 edition.
