IN THE run-up to Ramadan artisans set to work on fawanis, the lanterns that hang in Egyptian homes and streets throughout the month-long holiday. Many are adorned with geometric patterns or the crescent-and-star symbol of Islam. This year some customers want a different model: a grinning face with a tangle of curls and a Liverpool jersey.

Much has been said about Mohamed Salah’s influence on Britain. At a moment of rising xenophobia, a foreign-born Muslim footballer has become a national sensation. “If he scores another few, then I’ll be Muslim too,” fans chant. To the extent that they care about his religion, it is only to fret that the Ramadan fast could hurt his performance in the Champions League final in Kiev on May 26th.

His influence runs even deeper in his native Egypt. His face is everywhere, not just on lanterns but on T-shirts, bumper stickers, even the wall of a downtown café. Cairo’s relentless traffic eases a bit when Liverpool takes to the pitch, as fans crowd around televisions in coffee shops and on street corners.

There is little else to cheer in Egypt. The promise of the 2011 revolution is gone, replaced by an army-backed dictatorship and economic pain. Cairo is dysfunctional; a city more endured than loved. Complaining about any of this can land you in jail. After a freak April storm turned streets into rivers, one minister mooted a law that would make it illegal for Egyptians to discuss the weather.

Instead they talk about the striker from the Nile Delta who captivates fans with his footwork. They admire his piety, humility and work ethic. His success is bittersweet, though. Like so many Egyptians, he had to leave the country to realise his potential. He spent just two seasons with his home-town club before decamping to Europe.

Perhaps that was a blessing: Egyptian football is not immune from politics. The chairman of Zamalek SC, one of its top clubs, is a staunch supporter of Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s strongman. Mr Salah avoids politics, though he did donate 5m Egyptian pounds ($280,000) to a development fund set up by Mr Sisi.

Few will be thinking about that when Mr Salah takes to the pitch this summer at the World Cup, marking Egypt’s first appearance in the tournament since 1990.