Mohamed Salah‘s penalty was struck like a rocket but crashed back off the crossbar.

For a split-second, it looked as if the Egyptian star was about to miss his second spot-kick in the space of a week, having failed for Liverpool against Newcastle on New Year’s Day.

Technically this one still counted as a miss but it rebounded off the woodwork, struck the goalkeeper’s backside and went in.

Salah was too embarrassed to celebrate but maybe it’s a good omen, a sign fortune is on Egypt‘s side this time.

Alternatively, those who worship Salah in his homeland will hope his misses are now out of the way in this Africa Cup of Nations warm-up against Tanzania rather than in the tournament itself.

Mo Salah came close to missing another penalty after hitting the crossbar and relying on the ball to rebound off the goalkeeper into the back of the net in Egypt’s latest warm-up game

Salah stepped up to take the spot kick after Omar Marmoush was brought down in the penalty area in the 71st minute of the game

He looked to fire the ball into the top right-hand-corner but ended up hitting the crossbar. Thankfully for Salah, the ball hit the backside of the goalkeeper and bounced into the net

This will be Salah’s fourth AFCON. Twice he has suffered the pain of defeat in the final. But maybe international glory finally awaits a man who has won all the major club honours with Liverpool.

Egypt begin their campaign against Mozambique on Sunday, with Ghana and Cape Verde alongside them in Group B.

They will be expected to go deep into the tournament, especially given the exceptional form their captain Salah is in after 18 goals and nine assists for Liverpool this season.

But the record seven-time champions of Africa are still viewed by many pundits as a work in progress and for that reason the bookmakers have them only fifth favourite behind reigning champions Senegal, World Cup heroes Morocco, hosts Ivory Coast and Algeria.

As ever, much will rest on Salah’s shoulders if Egypt are to end a 14-year wait for the trophy.

His first taste of the AFCON came in Gabon in 2017. Egypt had embarrassingly failed to qualify for the three editions before that despite winning in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

They made amends by topping a stultifying group which saw just six goals in six games, Salah – then still a Roma player – scoring the winner against Ghana to grab top spot.

Egypt overcame Morocco in the quarter-finals, then Burkina Faso on penalties in the semis, with Salah scoring both in normal time and the shoot-out.

Salah celebrates scoring a goal during one of their World Cup qualifiers back in November

The Liverpool star is closing in on 100 appearances for his country and is a national icon

Salah has been in outstanding form for Liverpool all season and they’ll miss his influence

In the final with Cameroon, everything was going well for Egypt when Mohamed Elneny opened the scoring.

But Argentine coach Hector Cuper urged them to sit back and defend their advantage after the break, a tactic which backfired when Nicolas Nkoulou headed home an equaliser.

Egypt tried to respond but Cameroon had all the momentum and broke their hearts two minutes from time when Vincent Aboubakar won it.

A tearful Salah after Egypt crashed out of their home AFCON in 2019

The stars were meant to align in 2019 when Egypt hosted the AFCON. With the tournament staged in the summer month, Salah came into it having just won the Champions League with Liverpool.

Confidence flowed in the group stages as Egypt won all three games and Salah netted against DR Congo and Uganda.

But their last-16 opponents South Africa hadn’t read the script, silencing a 75,000-strong crowd at the Cairo International Stadium by scoring a winner five minutes from time and crushing the dreams of the host nation.

The chance to atone was delayed by the Covid pandemic until 2022 but Egypt arrived in Cameroon ranked as one of the favourites. Salah was by this point 29, the captain and very much the main man.

Defeat to Nigeria in their group opener was a reality check, but slender victories over Guinea-Bissau and Sudan saw Egypt safely through as runners-up.

Salah held his nerve to score the decisive penalty as Ivory Coast were beaten in a last-16 shoot-out, and he netted again as Morocco were overcome 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals.

Penalties were needed once more to overcome Cameroon in the semi-finals, following another goalless draw, though Cameroon’s dreadful kicks meant Salah didn’t even have to take his.

The final with Senegal was another cagey affair with no goals in 120 minutes, though Salah’s Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane saw an early penalty saved.

Inevitably, it went to a shoot-out and Egypt kept to their strategy of Salah taking the fifth kick.

He’d never get the opportunity – while Senegal were flawless with their four kicks, misses by Mohamed Abdelmonem and Mohanad Lasheen left Egypt crestfallen in the final again.

There was more agony in the 2021 edition as Egypt lost on penalties to Senegal in the final

Heartbreak for Salah and his Egypt team-mates as they were beaten in the shoot-out

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Salah removes his runners-up medal after the last AFCON final as his frustrations continue