NewsSadio Mane scores winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt in AFCON final
Sadio Mane scored the decisive spot-kick as Senegal defeated Mohamed Salah’s Egypt on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
Sunday’s final in Yaounde, Cameroon, went the distance with the score deadlocked at 0-0 after 120 minutes.
And Senegal prevailed 4-2 in the shootout as Liverpool’s No.10 – who saw a penalty saved in the seventh minute of the game – buried his kick into the bottom corner to secure his country’s first-ever AFCON title.
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Senegal started the game on the front foot and won an early spot-kick. Mane stepped up to take it but his effort, drilled straight down the middle, was parried away by Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski.
Salah was, as ever, Egypt’s primary attacking threat and one trademark jinking dribble inside off the right flank ended with a low hit that Edouard Mendy was equal to.
The Pharaohs’ captain then went close just before half-time as he opted for the element of surprise by blasting a shot towards the near top corner while looking set to seek out a teammate. Again, though, Mendy tipped wide.
With the stakes so high, the final was a largely cagey affair, but both Mendy and Gabaski needed to make crucial saves to take it to penalties, and Egypt’s third shootout of the tournament.
Salah was in line to take Egypt’s fifth kick but that never materialised as Mohanad Lasheen was denied by Mendy and Mane then kept his cool to seal an historic triumph for Senegal, two-and-a-half years on from their loss in the 2019 final.
