Senegal Break Egypt Again as Mané Ends Salah’s Afcon Dream Once More
Good evening and we begin tonight with another dramatic chapter in one of African football’s most compelling rivalries. Senegal versus Egypt. Sadio Mané versus Mohamed Salah. And once again, it was Senegal who had the final word.
Under the lights in Tangier, Morocco, Senegal edged past Egypt with a narrow but decisive one-nil win in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final. It was tense, it was cautious and for long stretches it felt like a game waiting for one moment to change everything. And that moment arrived late.
Just twelve minutes from the end, Sadio Mané struck. One clean, powerful effort from outside the box. The net rippled, Senegal erupted and Egypt’s hopes faded. For Senegal, it was a ticket to the Afcon final. For Egypt and for Mohamed Salah, it was heartbreak all over again.
To understand the weight of this result, you have to look at the history. These two teams have crossed paths in defining moments before. In the 2021 Afcon final, Senegal beat Egypt on penalties, with Mané scoring the decisive kick. Weeks later, they met again in World Cup qualification and once more it was Mané who delivered the final blow, while Salah watched his effort sail over the bar.
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Now, nearly four years later, the story repeats itself. Different stadium, same outcome.
Egypt came into this tournament believing this could finally be their year. It has been more than a decade since they last lifted the Afcon trophy. Salah, now 33, has won everything at club level, league titles, Champions League glory, individual awards. But this, the Africa Cup of Nations, remains the one prize missing from his career.
On the night, Egypt struggled to impose themselves. They defended deep, created little and relied heavily on moments of inspiration that never quite arrived. Senegal, meanwhile, were patient and disciplined. They pressed, they controlled territory and when the chance came, Mané took it.
The consequences now are clear. Senegal march on to the final, chasing another continental crown and cementing their status as Africa’s dominant force of this era. Egypt are left to regroup, facing a third-place playoff and more uncomfortable questions about their future.
For Mohamed Salah, the clock is ticking, though it is not yet stopped. There may still be another Afcon ahead. But nights like this hurt deeply, because opportunities like these do not come often.
As Senegal celebrate and prepare for one last step, Egypt walk away once more with what might have been. And so, yet again, African football reminds us just how cruel and how unforgettable, this stage can be.
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