Sadio Mane transformed the final penalty who broke Senegal’s spell in the African Cup, which conquered for the first time in its history by beating Egypt, the most successful team in the tournament, who did not have the support of their goalkeeper Mohamed Gabaski on other occasions in the shots.
SEN
EGI
Senegal
mendy; B.Sarr, Koulibaly, Diallo, Ciss; Kouyaté (P.Gueye, 66′), Mendy; I.Sarr (Dia, 77′), Gueye, Mané; Diedhiou (Dieng, 77′).
Egypt
Gabaski; Ashour, Abdelmonem, Hamdi, El Fotouh; Fathi (Lasheen, 99′), Elneny, El Solia (Trezeguet, 59′); Salah, Mostafa (Hamdi, 59′), Marmoush (Zizo, 59′).
penalties
Senegal goals: Koulibaly, Diallo, Dieng, Mané. Fault: B.Sarr / Goals Egypt: Zizo and Hamdi. Failures: Abdelmonem and Lasheen.
Referee
Victor Miguel Gomes. TA: N.Mendy (17′), Koulibaly (44′), Diallo (54′), Mané (88′) / Abdelmonem (5′), Fathi (37′).
Incidents
Stade d’Olembé (50,000 spectators).
Third time was the charm for Senegal, who had been beaten in two previous finals. They lost to Cameroon in Mali 2002 and the last one, in Egypt 2019, fell to Algeria. The insistence had a prize for the Teranga lions, who left the favorite without a prize. Egypt, with seven titles, is the most successful in the tournament, although the last one was twelve years ago, in Angola 2010.
The clash was able to take a radical turn and shake from the beginning when a foul inside the penalty area Abdelmonem to Ciss It was sanctioned as a penalty. Sadio Mane He executed the shot from eleven meters. But the Liverpool attacker missed. The goal Gabaski, who had already saved three in the semi-final shootout against Cameroon, saved the shot. The shock lived on.
Egypt was waiting. Overtaken by his rival, with more enthusiasm and faster, the group of Carlos Queiroz drew on the inspiration of Mohammed Salah. The great threat to Senegal was the Liverpool player who had, on the verge of half-time, the best chance of his team when in an individual action he executed a great shot that was answered with a good save from the Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy.
at game time Carlos Queiroz He tried to shake up the match and made a triple change. Senegal maintained control of the game and only the solvency of the central defenders Abdelmoneim Y hamdi prevented the last pass from reaching a last man to finish.
The shock opened in the final stretch. Egypt found spaces and the first chances. Like a shot of Zizo with a header that went wide of the right post. The Egyptian improvement was not enough to break the balance and the match went into extra time, as has been customary for the pharaohs who have gone through each tie with extra time in between.
Little by little the goal Gabaski increased its prominence. Right at the start of extra time he prevented Senegal’s goal when dieng he planted himself and shot cross. Then he prevented another from the Marseille striker, with a header, which he deflected for a corner. And another one from the attacker with a low shot that he also deflected.
Edward Mendy stopped the penultimate Egyptian shot, executed by mohanad lasheenY Mane, who at the beginning of the clash had missed from eleven meters, scored the decisive shot. The Liverpool striker did not fail, victorious in the face-to-face with his teammate Salahthe most committed player of his team, but not enough to overcome the Senegalese team, who sought victory more hard during the match.