Sadio Mané converted the final penalty that broke Senegal’s spell in the African Cupwhich they conquered for the first time in their 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 their shots.
Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stopped the penultimate Egyptian shotexecuted by Mohanad Lasheen, and the Liverpool footballer, who at the start of the clash had missed from eleven meters, scored the decisive shot.
Mané did not failvictorious in the face to face with his teammate Mohammed Salahthe most committed player of his team, but not enough to overcome the Senegalese team, who sought victory more hard during the match.
Third time was the charm for Senegal, which had been defeated 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 12 years ago, in Angola 2010.
The match could have taken a radical turn and shaken from the beginning when a foul inside the box by Mohamed Abdelmonem on Saliou Ciss was sanctioned as a penalty. Sadio Mané executed the shot from eleven meters. But the Liverpool attacker failed. Goalkeeper Gabaski, who had already stopped three in the semi-final shootout against Cameroon, saved the shot. The shock lived on.
Senegal found a clear way through the wings. Especially on the right, where Ismaila Sarr deepened and crossed. But his passes found no destination.
Egypt was waiting. Overtaken by their rival, with more enthusiasm and faster, Carlos Queiroz’s team took refuge in the inspiration of Mohamed Salah. The great threat to Senegal was the Liverpool player who had, on the verge of half-time, his team’s best chance when, in an individual action, he executed a great shot that was answered with a good save by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Senegal maintained dominance of the game and only the solvency of central defenders Mohamed Abdelmoneim and Mahmoud 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 from 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, goalkeeper Gabaski increased his prominence. Right at the start of extra time he prevented Senegal’s goal when Bamba Dieng stood alone and shot across. 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.
Penalties decided. Mané did not fail in the final moment and scored the winning penalty.
Data sheet:
0 – Senegal: Edouard Mendy; Bouna Sarr, Kalifou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, Saliou Ciss; Cheikhou Kouyaté (Pape Gueye, m.66), Nampalys Mendy; Ismaila Sarr (Boulaye Dia, m.77), Idrissa Gueye, Sadio Mané; and Famara Diedhiou (Bamba Dieng, m.77).
Coach: Aliou Cisse
0 – Egypt: Gabaski; Emam Ashour, Mohamed Abdelmoneim, Mahmoud Hamdi, Mohamed Abo El Fotouh; Mohamed Elneny, Hamdi Fathi (Mohanad Lasheen, m.99), Amr El Solia (Trezeguet, m.58); Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush (Zizo, m.58) and Mostafa Mohamed (Marwan Hamdi, m.59).
Coach Carlos Queiroz
Penalties: 1-0, Koulibaly; 1-1, Zizo; 2-1, Diallo; 2-1, Abdlmonem (failure. post); 2-1, Sarr (failure. for Gabaski); 2-2, Hamdi; 3-2, Dieng; 3-2, Lasheen (misses to Mendy); 4-2; Mane
Referee: Victor Miguel de Freitas Gomes (RSA). He showed a yellow card to Egypt’s Mohamed Abdelmonem and Hamdi Fathi and Senegal’s Nampalys Mendy, Abdou Diallo, Sadio Mané and Kalifou Koulibaly.
Incidents: final of the thirty-third edition of the African Cup played at the D’Olembé stadium in Yaoundé.
Source-eldiariony.com