Liverpool stars Salah and Mané this time will be on opposite sides in search of the conquest
It’s decision day on the African continent. In a little while, Senegal and Egypt will face each other at the Estádio d’Olembé, at 16:00 (Brasilia time), for the final of the African Cup of Nations.
The confrontation will place two old acquaintances and friends. Mohamed Salah, for Egypt, and Sadio Mané, for Senegal. Attacking partners at Liverpool, since they met, have scored 242 goals together. The duo that has been together for five seasons, this time, will be on the field with different shirts.
In search of the first title, Senegal enters the field without any embezzlement. The team led by Aliou Cissé ended the group stage as the leader of Group B, with five points won. Next, Senegal beat Cape Verde in the round of 16 and Equatorial Guinea in the quarter. In the semifinals, Mané and company’s team confirmed their favoritism and, after an even first half, eliminated Burkina Faso to reach the decision.
While Senegal tries to lift the first cup, on the other hand, we have Egypt as the greatest champion of the African continent. Altogether there are seven victories and nine finals played.
The Pharaohs do not have Akram Tawfik, out of injury. Ahmed Hegazi, on the other hand, is treated as a doubt. Carlos Queiroz’s men ended the group stage in second place in Group D, behind Nigeria. Thus, the Egyptian team secured a spot in the knockout stage and reached the final after winning three sequences of penalties: they eliminated Ivory Coast in the round of 16, Morocco in the quarterfinals, and Cameroon in the semifinals.
