- Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah shared an emotional moment ahead of their AFCON 2025 game
- Mane was on the winning side again, scoring the winning goal in the second half as Senegal secured their last place
- Salah failed again on the continental stage, with the Liverpool star failing to give the champions another championship record
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah they warmly embraced each other before their match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday evening.
Source: UGC
Mane’s Senegal team played against Salah’s Egypt at the Stade Ibn Batouta in Tanger, Morocco, in the first semi-final.
The main story in the preparations was the reunion of two former teammates there Liverpool who enjoyed much success under Jurgen Klopp, but were not true friends.
As the players lined up in the tunnel, Mane was seen walking towards Salah before the two shared a warm hug.
Fans reacted to the exciting moment between the two with Keo Thsepi saying,
“Calling friends is pushing; let’s just say you’re playing sports.”
Dangban said,
“The officer was almost lost; he had to calm himself down immediately. He was star struck.”
With Scarzoni saying,
“The two greatest players in the history of African football. Argue it among yourselves.”
The two players, as expected, were named in their starting line-up as they bid for a place in Sunday’s final.
Sadio Mane rules Salah out of AFCON 2025
In the end, it was Mane who came out on top, hitting a powerful shot in the 78th minute to win the game for the Teranga Lions.
Egypt were very weak throughout the game, unable to get out of their low barrier until Mane’s goal. Their first shot on target came in the final minutes.
“We did it together. We avoided making personal mistakes or making unnecessary fouls. I think we managed the game well from start to finish and, in general, we deserved to win. We have to be honest about the final and I think all the teams are fantastic. We will see, and we will try to be ready for the final, above all to give our best,” said Mane after the game via CAF Online.
Source: Twitter
Competition between Mane and Salah
The victory gave Mane another win in his rivalry with Salah. The star of Al-Nasr he has now won the last three important matches he faced against Salah.
He scored the crucial penalty as they won AFCON 2021 in the post-match shootout before scoring another to send Senegal to the 2022 World Cup at Egypt’s expense. Mane will now play in his third AFCON final since 2019, looking to lead his nation to their second ever title.
AFCON 2027 next for Salah?
As for Salah, AFCON glory has overtaken him again. The two-time African Player of the Year has reached the final twice and lost both times.
He will be 35 years old when the next AFCON comes to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The preliminary draw for AFCON 2027 was held on Tuesday.
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