Sadio Mane shone with his brilliance in Senegal’s win against Egypt in a semi-final clash at the African Cup of Nations in Morocco on Wednesday, January 14. He scored the only goal of the match to decide the outcome of the Senegal vs Egypt match.
It was a match that the Senegalese dominated, but had problems scoring against a resolute Egyptian defence. They will play against hosts Morocco in the final on Sunday, January 18, after having prevailed in the Senegal vs Egypt match.
Sadio Mane Proves His Point as One of the Greatest Africans in the Senegal vs Egypt Match
Mane started on the left flank, but had to repeatedly fall back to collect the ball and create moves. Egypt played with a low block and defended with five or six men at times. Hence, Mane did not find it easy to break into the box.
Senegal had 65% ball-possession in the match and had 11 shots against Egypt’s four. Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy had little to do in the Senegal vs Egypt clash.
In the second half, Senegal’s full-backs started overlapping more to help their wingers stretch Egypt’s defence wide. However, it was Mane, who fell back to be in a position to shoot, who took the shot from outside the penalty box to beat the Egyptian goalkeeper and win the Senegal vs Egypt game.
It was the 33-year-old winger’s 53rd goal for his country in 125 matches. This makes Mane one of the most successful footballers of all time. In this context, it has to be mentioned that Mane has spent almost a decade playing top-division club football in England and Germany.
Mane has played for Southampton, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, totalling more than 400 matches for them and scoring more than 150 goals. He has also won the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and Bundesliga titles in his illustrious career. He now plays his club football in the Saudi Pro League.
Mane was pitted against his former Liverpool teammate, Mohamed Salah, on Wednesday, meaning that two of the greatest African footballers featured in the match. It was the Senegalese who had the last laugh in the Senegal vs Egypt match to carry his team towards the final.
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Victory in the Senegal vs Egypt Match Pits Senegal Against Morocco in the Final
Morocco are in great form at the moment. In addition to that, they are the hosts and will enjoy home advantage to a great extent in the match. They beat Nigeria through a penalty shootout in another semifinal. Senegal will once again rely on Mane’s brilliance in that match.
Mane should enjoy a pivotal battle with Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s right-back in the final. Mane has won the AFCON once already with Senegal and finished runner-up once. The Senegalese’s performance for his clubs and country makes him a genuine contender for the top five greatest African players of all time.
He might not continue to play for Senegal for long. Hence, it is for the football lovers of the world to enjoy the great man’s exploits on the pitch for his country as long as he is still there in the national team’s set-up.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sebastian Frej
Recording Date: 14.01.2026
