As the AFCON’s final match is set between Senegal and Algeria, people have begun to compare the two country’s star players with Liverpool Right Winger and national star Mohamed Salah.
Senegal’s Sadio Mané and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez are at the top of their game in their respective national teams, but how do they compare to Mo Salah?
Mo Salah is not only one of the top players of the world at the moment, but has built his brand so well that he affects countries. The Salah effect has created multiple ripples in the world, from reducing hate crimes to improving Islam’s image worldwide, this makes his value more than about money, it must include his effect on culture and other intangible things.
Mohamed Salah [Player Value]
When it comes to football, only 2 are alongside each other.
Mohamed Salah comes in with a 150M Euros signed deal with Liverpool (2018), with Sadio Mané right behind him and his recent deal also with Liverpool at 120M Euros, while Mahrez’s recent dealings with Manchester City value him at 60M Euros.
Mo Salah has also been acknowledged as the 3rd top player of world, the top player in Africa (twice), and has won the Premier League Golden Boot twice in a row (but shared 2019’s in a 3-way tie with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mané).
All 3 are named as the number 1 player in their respective countries. *
*Football data received from transfermarkt *
Cultural and Social Impact
However, when it comes to building brands, as marketers we know that it isn’t all about the money but how we are able to stay top of mind and earn people’s trust.
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Mohamed Salah is not only known as an impressive and popular football player, but is also widely known for being an influential personality on the global stage. International coverage and his continuous use of “Sujud” post-goals has influenced a positive outlook on Islam.
A study by the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University in the United States found that was an 18.9% drop in anti-Muslim hate crimes on Merseyside (Liverpool) since Salah signed for Liverpool in June 2017, and anti-Muslim tweets by Liverpool fans halved compared to other major Premier League clubs.
According to the Independent, “the study concluded that Salah’s persona as a friendly figure in the team had helped ‘humanize’ the Muslim community.” And while there are no other findings on the matter, we can assume that Salah’s growing international popularity (and other popular Muslims) could mean a decrease in anti-Muslim hate crimes in general.
He also has improved his home country’s international image as well, serving as an unofficial ambassador for Egypt as he tours the world.
Locally, the right winger’s big heart and talent has turned him into a national hero. Not only has he put Egypt and proper Muslim values to the forefront of international media, he has shown compassion in the limelight as well.
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In 2018, the Liverpool FC striker and his father struck a deal to buy and donate land for a much-needed sewage treatment works close to Nagrig, a farming village in in Gharbia. He established a charity project in his home-village Nagrig, in Bassioun, that included an Al-Azhar institute and an ambulance unit.
Mo Salah Brand Value
As a brand and celebrity, Mohamed Salah is one of the most chased after in recent years.
Currently, the Liverpool player has contracts with Adidas, Vodafone, DHL, AlexBank, Mobil and Pepsi to name a few. However, his power lies not in his portfolio of partners, but in their success stories.
Salah has been a loyal ambassador for the Egyptian Anti-Addiction Treatment Fund, where he encourages strength and willpower over drugs. His presence in the ads caused a dramatic 400% increase of calls to their call centers in 2019, all looking to fight against drug use.
Earlier this year, Mo Salah’s work with DHL had him shut down his social media which caused football fans across the world to panic. This led to thousands of earned media as news outlets around the world questioned or praised his action, and was yet again talked about when the footballer came back online.
His value as a brand ambassador, both locally and internationally, has been built on the foundation of his “nice guy” persona as well as charismatic yet humble nature. This allows him a lot of flexibility in working with various brands, and his loyal followers continue to rally around him and the brands that support him.
The biggest recent news on Mahrez has been his great run during this AFCON season, however a recent employment tribunal in the UK against his children’s former nanny may put a dent in his brand value. A UK judge “ordered [Mahrez] to pay the claimant the net sum of £3,612” after failing to pay her for months.
Sadio Mané’s most recent big brand partner was in 2018 with shoe maker New Balance, and with Western Union. The footballer is still growing his brand, but so far seems to be doing fairly well but leagues behind Mo Salah who has both local and international brands fighting for him to be on their team.
Mohamed Salah’s brand value continues to build and soar alongside his career, and it doesn’t look to be stopping even after some controversy during this year’s AFCON competition.