Reactions are trailing in social media as to the eligibility of Muhammed Salah winning the African Footballer of the Year, being that he is Egyptian and “not African”. A massive embarrassment for the new generation and its knowledge of geography.
Although, Egypt is a transcontinental, Mediterranean Country spanning the North Eastern corner of Africa and Southwest corner of Asia, it is an African Country.
Some have erroneously thought Africa is the name of a Country, others have assume that all of Africa is made of black people, hence the misconception on Salah’s eligibility.
Mohamed Salah is the African Player of the Year 2017 #aiteoCAFawards2017 pic.twitter.com/WswmPqcZBY
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 4, 2018
Makes no sense how can Salah Be African and Egyptian? He wasn’t born in Africa?
— ً (@ClinicalFirmino) January 2, 2018
While Twitter is awash with Arab fans celebrating and praising the player, many are overwhelmed by the idea that some think Egyptians are not Africans.
There is this joke about Mo Salah as He is Egyptian not African
It’s not fun anymore
We are Egyptian African
and we are Proud
Go Egypt
Go Africa— (@Ronno_) January 4, 2018
However, a study carried out in 2012 by Al Arabiya News, showed that Egyptians identified mostly as Arabs, Muslims, descendants of Pharaohs or a combination of all, but not as Africans.
Another justification for such confusion could also be the fact that the Country is surrounded by seemingly Arab Countries (another geographical confusion), like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, all located in the North Africa and they all share something in common; the Arabic language and Islam as a religion. This may explain the placing of North African countries in the Middle East in the eyes of the largely uneducated.
This is the first time football fans and the general public get to vote for the African Footballer of the Year, as against previous years that voting was solely by African coaches, Journalists, and National team Captains.
