This was the kind of night that reminds everyone exactly why Mohamed Salah is not just Egypt's leading man, but the standard by which everything else is measured. During the November international break, he scored twice in Egypt's 5-0 win over Malawi, then walked straight into the record books with the kind of authority that makes the debate feel very small indeed.
After the Malawi match, Salah had 70 goals in 123 appearances for Egypt, moving beyond Hossam Hassan to become the nation's all-time leading goalscorer. That is not just a milestone. It is a statement. Egypt did not merely beat Malawi; they used the game to underline their place at the top of the AFCON qualifying group, where they sat after three matches with two wins and one draw.
Salah did the obvious thing: he scored, again
There is always a temptation with great players to talk about the myth before the evidence. In Salah's case, the evidence keeps arriving. Two goals against Malawi took him level and then beyond Hossam Hassan, and the numbers now say what the performances have been saying for years: one of Egypt's greatest players has become Egypt's greatest scorer.
Seventy goals in 123 appearances is a serious return by any standard. One in every two games, more or less, is elite production for a forward carrying both expectation and pressure every time he pulls on the shirt. And because it came in a 5-0 win that helped keep Egypt top of the group, the record was not some isolated vanity stat. It was attached to a result that mattered.
Egypt have momentum, but Salah is the real headline
The standings matter because they show Egypt are doing the hard part properly. Two wins and one draw after three AFCON qualifying matches is a strong platform, and the win over Malawi boosted their chances in the campaign. But the bigger truth is that this group remains built around Salah, and that is not a criticism. It is simply reality.
The 34-year-old is still producing at a rate that makes the conversation unavoidable. He had also been in excellent club form, with nine goals in 11 league appearances and three assists for Trabzonspor. That kind of output is why record-breaking international nights do not feel accidental with him. They feel overdue.
Liverpool.com summed it up bluntly: Mohamed Salah has secured GOAT status with Egypt. Whether you want to use that label or not, the basic point stands. The record is his, the goals are his, and Egypt's place at the top of their AFCON qualifying group is still being driven by the same familiar force.
