Mané Tops Salah Again as Senegal Reaches AFCON Final After Penalty Drama
Senegal has reached the Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time in 17 years after Sadio Mané scored the winning penalty against Egypt in a tense shootout, ending Mohamed Salah’s tournament dream.
Key Takeaways
- Sadio Mané scored the decisive penalty in a 3-1 shootout win after a 0-0 draw.
- Egypt’s Mohamed Salah did not get to take a penalty as his teammates missed.
- Senegal avenged a November World Cup qualifying loss to Egypt on penalties.
- Senegal will face Cameroon or Burkina Faso in Sunday’s final.
Shootout Redemption for Senegal
Liverpool teammates became national rivals in a dramatic semifinal. Mané sent Senegal into its first final since 2005 by calmly converting the winning spot-kick. The match had finished goalless after 120 minutes of play.
This was a reversal of their meeting in November, when Salah’s Egypt beat Senegal on penalties to qualify for the at Senegal’s expense.
“We knew it would be difficult. We knew we were up against a great team, but we have a great team,” Mané said. “We stayed calm to win. We are a family. We proved that today.”
Egypt’s Heartbreak
Egypt’s players were left devastated. Salah was seen in tears as he left the pitch. Goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal made one save in the shootout, but it wasn’t enough.
Teammates Mohanad Lasheen and Mostafa Mohamed both failed from the spot—Lasheen skying his effort and Mohamed’s attempt saved by Senegal keeper Édouard Mendy—meaning Salah never got his turn.
“We are very disappointed. We wanted to win the tournament for our fans,” Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz said. “We have to accept the result. We lost on penalties. That’s football.”
Road to the Final
Senegal had the better chances throughout normal and extra time but found Abou Gabal in inspired form. Mané had the best opportunity in extra time, but the Egyptian keeper rushed out to block his shot.
Senegal now aims to win its first-ever AFCON title, having finished as runners-up in 2002 and 2019. They will play the winner of the other semifinal between hosts Cameroon and Burkina Faso.
Egypt, the record seven-time champion, was hoping to reach its first final since winning three consecutive titles in 2010.
