Mané penalty saved as final goes distance

Africa Cup of Nations

- Jonathan Wilson

Senegal 0

Egypt 0

Score at 90min

Senegal and Egypt were locked in a tight tussle in the Africa Cup of Nations final with the teams deadlocked after 90 minutes.

The Liverpool attacker Sadio Mané missed an early penalty for Senegal. The Egypt goalkeeper, Abou Gabal, kept out Mané’s effort. There were few clear cut chances throughout the 90 minutes with both defences on top in Yaoundé.

There are rarely goals in Cups of Nations finals: just 10 in the last 10, four of which have gone the distance to penalties after 0-0 draws. And there are rarely goals in games involving Senegal or Egypt. Senegal had negotiated their way to this stage scoring nine goals and conceding just two; of those 11 goals, only one had come in the first half. Egypt had scored four and conceded two in six games and only three of those had come in the first half.

So it was a major surprise when Saliou Ciss, Senegal’s marauding left-back, was scythed down in the box after three minutes, and perhaps less of a surprise when Mané’s penalty was well-saved by Abou Gabal. Mohamed Salah had very obviously spoken to the Zamalek goalkeeper before his Liverpool team-mate took it; Mané reacted by pointing where he was going to aim, before smashing his kick central.