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Rabat – After three failed attempts, Senegal’s Teranga Lions claimed their first-ever victory in an AFCON final, scoring three goals in penalty shootouts to defeat Mohamed Salah’s Egypt.
This much-anticipated clash of African titans ended with ecstatic Senegalese players running to Sadio Mane, their playmaker and winning penalty scorer, to express their elation at finally clinching African football’s most prestigious trophy.
Senegal stole the show with an impressive performance, dominating possession and creating most of the dangerous moments in much of the first half.
Egyptian team star Mohamed Salah almost ended the goalless draw at the 43rd minute, but his shot was blocked by Chelsea and Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
As they have so often done in this tournament, Egypt came to the second half more reinvigorated and ready to take the game to a characteristically tense mental battle meant to force Senegalese players into making nervous play and losing concentration.
Salah, the creative engine of Egypt’s Pharaohs, was almost invisible for the 120 minutes of the game, so impeccably solid was Senegal’s defensive pairing of Abdou Diallo and Kalidou Koulibaly.
And when the Pharaohs did manage some scant moments of domination and tempo, their shots found a solid Mendy in the way.
As Sadio Mane prepared to take Senegal’s final penalty, Gabaski, the Egyptian keeper, had the mental ascendency. The Egyptian keeper had blocked a Mane penalty in the early stages of the game and he had just blocked another Senegalese penalty to maintain Egyptian dreams of undisputed AFCON dominance alive.
But the Liverpool star proved more composed and slightly more inspired this time, with his strong shot sliding pass Gabaski to give almost 17 million Senegalese the delicious taste of continental glory that had eluded them for decades.
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