The year 2019 witnessed a remarkable shift in Arab sport, especially football, as the stars strengthened their position on the world stage, while its clubs emerged by winning the four continental titles in Africa and Asia, countries in the level of titles and hosting prominent international dates.

The most prominent undisputed name remained the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who strengthened his position with his team, Liverpool, England, with his main contribution to leading him to his sixth title in the Champions League, and the first since 2005.

With his teammates such as Senegalese Sadio Mane and Brazilian Roberto Firmino, and led by German coach Juergen Klopp, Salah appears closer than ever to achieving the long-awaited three decades in the English Premier League.

Salah, 27, who is playing his third season with the Red Team, refused to finish the year with less than an unprecedented title for his club, by crowning him as the champion of the Club World Cup.

The Egyptian star was named the best player in the championship, after he contributed to his team's victory over Mexico's Monterrey 2-1 in the semi-final, and Brazilian Flamengo 1-0 in overtime for the final match.

What differed in 2019 was that Salah began lifting the cups with the team, which is spending its fourth year in a process of rebuilding that Klopp has embarked on since taking over the technical administration in 2015: the Champions League, the Continental Super Cup, and the Club World Cup.

In the 2019-2020 season, Salah has scored 13 goals so far in 24 matches with the team in various competitions, knowing that he briefly moved away from his squad due to an ankle injury.

Klopp praised him repeatedly, especially in the World Cup clubs when he answered with a denial and astonishment to a journalist's question about the player's failure to provide his usual level, stressing that he is "a very important player" in the team in any matter he does.

Salah's only negative point was the early exit with the national team from the African Cup of Nations hosted by Egypt this summer, with a late goal by South Africa in the final price round.

The Egyptians awaited the appointment in the hope that Salah would lead them to a waiting title since 2010. However, the Liverpool star was unable alone to carry the burden of expectations of about 100 million citizens, especially as the team was busy with various matters outside the field, especially the issue of player Amr Warda and his exclusion from the team on the background of charges "Harassed" was directed at him, before returning with pressure from the players.

Commander Mehrez.

However, the African Championship witnessed the emergence of another star well known to the English stadiums, the Algerian Riyad Mahrez, who deservedly led the Desert Warriors team to the leadership of the continental ball for the second time in their history and the first since 1990.

Mehrez and his companions, such as Ismail bin Nasser (the best player in the championship), Baghdad Bounajah, Youssef Al-Balaili and goalkeeper Rice Mbulahi, performed a near-perfect performance from start to finish under the banner of feat coach Jamal Belmadi.

The latter restored stability and stability to a formation full of talents, but it has suffered from various problems since reaching the second round in the World Cup Brazil 2014.

Algeria went back to its previous era in 2019, and the moment will remain in the minds, the free kick that Mehrez performed in the deadly seconds of the semi-final against Nigeria, and through which he granted his country the goal of winning 2-1, qualifying for the final to meet Senegal and overcome 1-0.

The national team raised a cup that brought great joy to the Algerians in the midst of political protests the country has been witnessing for months, and Mahrez has ably occupied his position as a leader and a professional who is able to hold the team on his shoulders whenever required.

After returning to England to try to contribute to his team's Manchester City Premier League title for the third season in succession, the 28-year-old was praised by his Spanish coach, Josep Guardiola, who said he was "a talented player. He has something special to see in close proximity to the penalty area."

"What I like about Riad is that he loves football. He is the first to reach the training and the first to catch the ball and try to play with it. This means a lot."

The Algerian scored six goals in this season in 22 matches with his team, and was distinguished by providing 10 crucial passes to his teammates.

- Esperance and Hilal -

Mehrez is the son of North Africa, who has come to the continent in the last two seasons, champion of the Tunisian Champions League, Esperance.

The team, led by its coach Moein El-Shaabani, lifted the title 2017-2018 at the expense of Al-Ahly of Egypt, and repeated this year at the expense of Wydad Casablanca, in a final round that sparked controversy due to the video assistance technology "AR", and called for a decision from the Continental Union (K) to resolve an identity The champion after the return match stopped in Tunisia and the withdrawal of the Moroccan team players from it.

Esperance went on with a squad that lost many of its pillars, to its second participation in the Club World Cup, where it contented itself with fifth place for the second year in a row, with a landslide victory over the Qatari host dam by a score of 6-2.

The Tunisian club, which celebrates its centenary this year, was close to the dream of reaching the semi-final match, but it faltered for the third time and with one goal, at the threshold of the first game in the second round, which came this time against the Saudi Al-Hilal, who returned after nearly two decades to the leadership of Asian football.

The capital Riyadh team imposed itself as Asia this year, relying mainly on the tactic of its Romanian coach Razvan Lusescu, and his French striker Pavitimbi Gomez, top scorer in the Champions League and his best players for the past season.

Al-Hilal performed an honorable performance in the World Cup clubs, and almost achieved the surprise of crossing into the final match after finishing the first half of the semi-final against Flamingo, with a clean goal, before receiving three in the second half.

Arab supremacy was praised by the Egyptian Zamalek and Al-Ahed teams by crowning them the title of the Federation Cup competition in the brown and yellow continents.