TANGIER,Morocco: Sadio Mane fired Senegal into the Africa Cup of Nations final with a superb late goal as they claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Egypt in Wednesday’s semi-final. The decisive strike arrived 12 minutes from time and rewarded Senegal for a performance in which they clearly held the upper hand.
Senegal dominated possession and dictated the tempo throughout the contest, leaving Egypt largely on the back foot. Led by Mohamed Salah, the Pharaohs struggled to make any attacking impact and failed to register a shot at goal or even earn a corner before conceding.
Breaking down Egypt’s stubborn defence proved challenging, and it took a slice of luck to open the door. Lamine Camara’s effort was blocked, but the ball fell kindly to Mane just outside the box. The forward reacted instantly, drilling a low shot beyond goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy. “I was a bit lucky,” Mane said afterwards. “The ball came unexpectedly and I hit it first time.”
The loss ended Salah’s hopes of winning his first AFCON title, having previously finished runner-up twice. Senegal’s victory, however, came with setbacks, as captain Kalidou Koulibaly was forced off with a groin injury and will miss the final due to suspension, while Diarra is also ruled out after picking up another booking.Senegal will now meet either hosts Morocco or Nigeria in Sunday’s final, just one step away from lifting the continental crown.
