What hits you most in Cairo, after the noise, is the sheer number of people. Egypt has a population of about 120 million. Its capital city is home to 23 million. For context, the population of Liverpool is just under one million.

Come to appreciate that and only then do you begin to understand the scale of national fury that followed when Mohamed Salah gave his incendiary interview on 6 December, claiming Liverpool had "thrown him under the bus".

"This interview was like a revolution in Egypt," says Diaa El-Sayed, the former Egypt assistant coach, who has known Salah since he was 16. "99% of Egypt supports Salah, and you can see from the reaction at Anfield that the Liverpool fans support him too."

Across British media, Salah was criticised heavily for his actions. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher branded the interview a "disgrace" and accused the 33-year-old of throwing the club under the bus. Others insisted Salah was in the wrong for airing his grievances in public.

Yet in Cairo, the 'Egyptian King' can do no wrong. "Before Salah, no-one supported Liverpool here," says Noura Essam, a Cairo local. "Before Salah, we didn't have a global figure, so we will always support him."

During the 2018 presidential election, more than one million Egyptians crossed out the names of the listed candidates and cast their vote for Salah. He is an unofficial leader. In these parts, he is known as the 'Fourth Pyramid'.

Around Ramses Square, the Cairo transport hub where Salah would change buses to reach training during his nine-hour round commute as a teenager, the cafe-goers describe their disbelief when he was named on the bench for three games in a row by Arne Slot and then left out of the squad for the Champions League trip to Inter Milan.

"When Liverpool played in Milan, all of Egypt supported Inter Milan," says Osama Ismail, a former Egyptian FA spokesman. Ismail, who worked with Salah, describes him as "not arrogant but confident" and is adamant the forward wants to continue playing for Liverpool.

At the Cairo International Stadium, where Egypt beat Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), the mood is one of getting behind their "son" and lifting his morale as the Pharaohs look to win their first title since 2010.

"We say he is our son, so we were emotionally taken aback because it felt like a humiliation for one of our family," says Ahmed Gamal Ali, a Cairo-based journalist. "To see one of our own hurting was shocking and the spontaneous national response was basically autopilot.

"It would be judgmental to say if he was right or wrong to do the interview, as we didn't live through his feelings, but this is the mindset of players like him and [Cristiano] Ronaldo."

At the Egypt team hotel on the outskirts of Cairo, those who have shared the dressing room with Salah are not concerned about their captain's actions, insisting he is a model professional. "Working with Mo is the best part of my job," says one staff member. Another jokes that they all have him in their Fantasy Premier League team. The majority have all posted on social media in support of Salah over the past week and shared his content.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, their all-time record goalscorer, had a lengthy discussion with Salah last week. The coach conducted it with the belief Egypt will need Salah at his best - regardless of his situation at Liverpool - to have a chance in Morocco.

So what about the situation at Liverpool? At Anfield last Saturday, was Salah saying farewell forever or goodbye for now? "Take this from me that it's just goodbye for now," insists El-Sayed.

Before Salah left Merseyside for Afcon, Slot insisted "there was no issue to resolve" when it came to picking the Egyptian, while his club-mates said they wanted him to stay. Importantly, Salah still considers himself as one of the first names on the Liverpool team sheet. While he is away, his agent Ramy Abbas will engage in talks with the club.

In recent years, Salah has usually got what he wants for both club and country. This is a man who was sitting on a throne inside Anfield in April to celebrate his new contract - having previously indicated he might leave and was "more out than in".

In 2018, he got his way after a high-level dispute with the Egyptian FA over his image rights that led to government intervention. Yet for the first time in a long time, it seems as if the end of the love affair between Salah and Liverpool is on the horizon.

The understanding is neither Liverpool nor Salah want to cut ties in January, though a move at the end of the season may suit both parties. Clubs in Saudi Arabia are interested in signing a player whose current deal at Anfield, worth £400,000 a week, expires in 2027.

There is belief that even if he moves away, Salah could return to live in Liverpool with his wife and two daughters once he retires because they love the British way of life.

On the road heading out of Cairo and towards the airport, a journey Salah has made countless times, the billboards are filled with his image. In Egypt, all roads lead to Salah.

On TV, a new advert is doing the rounds, with Salah asked by his daughters why he is still training when he has won everything with Liverpool. His response: "No, not yet, this is Egypt." Salah wants to win with Egypt.

Until April 2018, his social media handle was @MoSalah22 as a mark of respect to Mohamed Aboutrika, who wore the number 22 at Al-Ahly and won Afcon twice. Aboutrika was Salah's football hero. but the '22' was taken out after Aboutrika, widely regarded as one of the greatest African and Arab players, was placed on Egypt's terror list in 2017. Aboutrika was added to the list because of alleged links with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt considers a terrorist organisation. He was removed from the list, external in 2024.

Unlike Aboutrika, Salah has never won Afcon, losing the final in 2017 and 2021. Triumph at the tournament remains a major ambition. He believes playing in the Premier League gives him the best chance of achieving it. Succeeding with his country would mean a lot.

Salah has played at only one World Cup so far - in 2018, where he wasn't fully fit, having damaged his shoulder in that year's Champions League final as Liverpool lost to Real Madrid. Egypt went out at the group stage in Russia, losing all three matches.

Next year's World Cup - where Egypt have been drawn in a group with Belgium, Iran and New Zealand - offers another chance on the biggest stage. But for now, the focus is on succeeding with the Pharaohs in Morocco.

His agent Abbas will deal with the situation at Liverpool, where it increasingly looks as if Salah will no longer be the focal point. Saturday's reaction at Anfield, where Salah appeared as a first-half substitute in a 2-0 win over Brighton, suggested he will always be adored in Liverpool.

Judging by the mood in Cairo, they will always support their son. "Salah always wants to win but there is double motivation now to prove that he is still one of the best. We already know he is the best," says Mohamed Mamoun, a fan at the stadium.

Egypt are not the favourites for the Afcon title. But with Salah, they will believe.