Sadio Mane fires in decisive spot-kick to beat Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah as Senegal claim first ever Africa Cup of Nations title
It was penalty redemption for Sadio Mane as his decisive spot-kick gave Senegal their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title.
Mane slotted the ball home as Senegal got the better of Egypt, who have Mane’s Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah in their ranks.
The Lions of Teranga appeared to have thrown away their chances of winning the tournament as Mane had a penalty saved in the early minutes of the final.
But he made no mistake when given his second chance and was later spotted comforting his emotional club teammate Salah after scoring his decisive penalty to win 4-2 following a goalless 90 minutes and extra time.
Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly spoke after the match: “We feel happy. We knew it would be hard to win the Africa Cup of Nations but today we made it.
“Our team deserved to win this title. We had been looking for this for a long time and now we have it. This team is magnificent.
“It was a tough game and a tough tournament. We made it with our team and our power. Our goalkeeper is the best in the world and we win the title.”
Senegal have won their first ever Africa Cup of Nations in their 16th participation in the tournament, becoming the 15th different nation to win the competition.
