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Mane inspires Senegal to first African title
After 120 minutes of action, it took the Senegal star to score the crucial penalty kick to earn the Lions a 4-2 shootout victory against Egypt at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde.
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Early in the game Mane, had let team down by missing a first half spot kick in open play. But when it mattered most, the Liverpool attacker made sure he drilled the ball home to spark am emotional celebration by his teammates and their head coach Aliou Cisse who guided the team to the 2019 AFCON final. Senegal’s skipper, Kalidou Koulibaly opened the penalty kick for Senegal before Abdou Diallo, Bamba Dieng and Mane converted to gift Senegal a first continental prize after three attempts.
Mohamed Abdelmonem had missed the second kick for Egypt but man of the match goalie Mohamed Abou Gabal Ali saved Bouna Sarr’s kick to restore parity.
However, Chelsea’s Edouad Mendy saved Mohanad Lasheen’s kick to pave way for Mane to net the winner.
In the opening minutes of the game, Sadio Mane had the chance to shoot Senegal ahead in the fifth minute but the Liverpool star missed the cruical penalty after Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal Ali saved his straight penalty kick.
The save did not just revive the Egyptians but kept them in the game and avoided an early deficit.
Mane had opted to take the crucial penalty in the early stages after left-back Saliou Ciss was brought down by Mohamed Abdelmonem in the box.
Senegal did not stop dominating play after their penalty miss and forward Ismaila Sarr came close to scoring the opener after 10 minutes but his shot outside the box went straight to the Egyptian goalie.
Eight minutes later, Sarr nearly created a goal when his shot across to Mane failed to reach the talisman after the Egyptian defence prevented the attacker from tapping in from close range.
Liverpool’s marksman, Mohammed Salah was called to action in the 28th minute through individual brilliance which saw him take on four Senegal defenders but his feeble shot failed to trouble Edouad Mendy.
The game became open as both sides looked to dominate possession but Salah tried his magic by beating Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Nampalys Mendy but his shot was saved by goalie Mendy.
Senegal continued from where they left off immediately in the second half and recorded a freekick in the 47th minute but Idrissa Gana Gueye’s set piece went off the post.
Nampalys Mendy of Senegal received a precise pass and is given time inside the box to send a low strike towards the middle of the goal but Ali guesses his intention and denies him with a fine save after 50 minutes.
In the 59th minute, Egypt’s Portuguese trainer, Carlos Queiroz decided to effect three changes by bringing on Trezeguet, Zizo and Marwan Hamdi for Amr El Solia, Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed respectively.
The changes brought more life into the Egyptian play and helped them surged forward in search of a goal but a well-organised Senegal defence was too strong to beat.
Referee Victor Miguel de Freitas Gomes was forced to blow for a foul to Egypt to keep the game under control in the 69th miute but the free kick find Mohamed Abdelmonem in the box, but he sent it just over the bar from close range for a goal kick to Senegal.
With both sides solid in defence, the game failed to produce a goal leading to a goalless stalemate in regulation time to take the match to extra time.
Egypt goalie Ali showed another class with a wonderful save in the 92nd minute after substitute Bamba Dieng Senegal went on a mazy run through the defence and saw his effort to the bottom right corner is thwarted.
In the second half of extra time, Senegal were denied again by Ali when Dieng received a clever pass and shot from mid-range. His shot looked like it's going in the bottom left corner, but the goalie made a brilliant save.
Two minutes later, Zizo took a wonderful touch after collecting a pass inside the box but Mendy made a superb save to keep his side in the game.
